A New Beginning
by DarkDragon3088
Summary: Set a year before the events of Digimon Tamers, a young boy finds himself trapped in the Digital World on the cusp of an invasion by a powerful dark entity. Is his arrival a coincidence or is he the only hope two worlds have left against the darkness?
1. What Has A Beginning

**~Digimon Tamers 02~**

**One year following the events of the Locomon Incident, the Tamers have all settled into **_**somewhat **_**normal lives. However, with the arrival of new friends and enemies, they are quickly thrust back into the world of Digimon. Only this time, their enemy is far greater than anyone they could have ever imagined. **

**DarkFox2009: This is a re-upload of my old series. I felt as if I was rushing it the first time around, coming up with the story as I went along instead of pre-planning anything. Several months, and numerous notes later, I present to you the true beginning to my series...**

* * *

><p>A New Beginning<p>

_Since the beginning of time there have existed two opposing forces: Good and Evil. The war between them has raged on in many ways, shapes and forms with each side vying for ultimate supremacy over the universe. And it continues here…in the Digital World._

A hint of dread, accompanied by approaching black and grey storm clouds on the horizon, engulfed the digital desert in a sea of foreboding darkness while also tainting the once beautiful indigo sky with an air of menace. Thunder echoed through the barren land below followed by flashes of azure colored lightning with a powerful wind adding to the already cold, depressing setting.

Out of the storm emerged a dark colored haze which snaked its way down to the ground in a spiral pattern. A pair of glowing red eyes suddenly began to illuminate from within the monstrous vapor. _Must…feed…need…power..._

At the same exact moment, somewhere deep within the mountains halfway across the digital world, another set of eyes sprung open, only from a deep slumber instead. "The time has _finally _come."

The golden royal doors slowly began to open revealing a large dimly light chamber, walls lined with hundreds of stone glyphs telling the ancient story of how the digital world ultimately came into existence. Strabimon entered along with a cloaked figure whose face was hidden by a hood and shadow. "It's happening. Just like _he _said it would." He motioned towards their mysterious acquaintance in the cloak, merely crossing his arms with justification.

"Then you know what you must do." All eight red eyes of the creature, blanketed in darkness, moved from Strabimon to his cohort. "_Both _of you…and there is not much time. Now go."

The two of them bowed down before exiting the chamber and making their way down the long stone covered hall. "I hope that you know what you're doing. The fates of two worlds are at stake. But there's one thing I still don't understand." Both came to a stop for a moment. "Just what exactly is your involvement in all of this?"

There was a deafening silence that seemed to last an eternity as Strabimon awaited a reply. "I'm here to set the chosen one on his path." He walked over to one of the church sized windows, looking out onto the mountainous landscape. "It's his destiny to destroy the darkness and save the digital world from what's about to happen to it."

* * *

><p>Hundreds of students at Emerson Intermediate School were anxiously awaiting the final bell on their last day of school before summer vacation officially started and as the end drew near the sounds of anticipation radiated from one classroom to another throughout the entire building turning it into one large, erratic heartbeat.<p>

The last ten seconds were followed by a countdown which culminated in a sea of pre-teens flooding out the blue painted metal doors all around the school, desperate for their freedom.

Twelve year old Ryan Riley and his best friend, Zack Thomas, made their way down the stone stairs and across the street to escape the crowds still flooding out. "Jeez. I'm glad it's summer too but that was nuts! And I used to think Black Friday was bad."

Zack laughed at the joke and patted Ryan on the shoulder. "I know, right? But you really can't blame anyone. We're both just as happy to be out of there as they are."

"You got that right. Three months of no school, no homework and best of all…no Scott Gerardi." A fist connected with his stomach causing Ryan to drop his backpack and fall to the pavement clutching his mid-section in pain, coughing to try and regain the wind that was knocked out of him. He looked forward and saw a familiar pair of silver converse a foot away and immediately knew who it was. "Guess I spoke too soon."

The blonde, spikey haired bully then reached down and pulled Ryan to his feet by the collar of his black tee-shirt while two others surrounded Zack. "I thought I heard my name. Now you didn't think I was going to start my summer and end my last year at this crappy school without getting some last licks in on you, did you Riley?"

"Well, if you _really_ want to _lick_ something…" He pointed a finger at the grass behind Scott who turned his head lightly. "…why don't you try that dog crap over there? Looks tasty, you may like it." His comment earned him a swift punch across the face, propelling the boy into the green chain link fence behind him.

A trickle of blood falls from his lip and onto the sidewalk as he slides with his back against the fence all the way to the ground. "Was it something I said?"

Again he is dragged to his feet and slammed into the intertwined metal. "You got a big mouth, you know that! But…if you say you're sorry, I may just let you live to breathe another day. So, you have anything you want to tell me?"

Scott released his grip but continued to stand right on top of him. Ryan glanced over at Scott's posse who were still subduing Zack. "Yeah, actually I do." Without warning he shoved his tormentor who ended up falling backwards onto the grass. "Shit happens…! Oh yeah, and curb your dog!"

In an instant the enraged teenager realized what he had landed on and became even more furious. "You are so dead! Get him!"

Ryan took off down the block leaving his backpack behind knowing that it would only slow him down and, after being helped up by the other two boys, was immediately pursued by the terrible trio leaving Zack standing there bewildered. "Oh man. He's in some _really_ deep shit. Run, Ryan, run!"

* * *

><p>Several blocks away, Ryan came to a stop to catch his breath having lost his pursuers by cutting through a couple of backyards.<p>

With one last gasp of air deep into the lungs he looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was following him and resumed walking towards home while hoping to meet up with Zack later on. As he faced forward he collided right into the chest of a cloaked figure causing him to jump back in fright, stumble and fall onto the asphalt.

A rush of adrenaline, caused by fright, was coursing its way through his veins and his heart began racing faster than a horse on a track, his attention instantly drawn to the abyss beneath the hood due to his inability to see a face. "Sorry. I didn't see you there." There is no movement or verbal response which rattled his nerves further. "It's a little early for Halloween, don't you think?"

The cloaked figure took one step forward making Ryan cringe in pure terror. "It's not for another four months, right?" The question, while rhetorical, is accompanied by a helping hand which brought the young man up to a vertical base, having been knocked down for the third time in one day. "If you're thinking about going that way, I'd _strongly_ reconsider if I were you."

Confused by the statement, Ryan turned to his left and spotted Gerardi and his buddies coming up the side street he was about to go down. "How did you know…?" The question ended in mid-sentence as he came to the realization that whoever he was talking with had disappeared _literally_ into thin air.

"Hey, there he is!" Scott exclaimed to the others while attracting Ryan's attention at the same time. Without hesitation he sprinted off the road and into the woods using his arms to block the many jagged branches of the surrounding trees from hitting him in the face. "He's going into the woods! Come on!"

Knowing that they were hot on his tail again Ryan raced through the woods, jumping over countless logs, rocks and even tripping a few times but keeping on the move like an animal desperate to escape from the hunter.

* * *

><p>The chase continued for another several minutes until he came to a dead stop at an old, rusted barbed wire fence with a half termite eaten sign reading "Danger: Keep Out" in faded black paint. <em>Oh, great! End of the line. <em>The sounds of feet approaching got louder and louder with every gasp of air taken in and every bead of sweat that dripped from his glistening forehead. _Now what am I going to do? _

A sudden explosion of wood and steel temporarily stunned Ryan until the dust settled enough that he saw a section of the old fence had somehow been completely annihilated. Not caring to speculate on how it had gotten that way he ran through the now open portion and continued his attempted escape through the restricted area.

Scott and his friends reached the same spot Ryan had just gone through less than a minute later. As he got ready to enter the hole a hand swiftly grabbed his arm. "Dude, we can't go through there. That's where "The Pit" is."

"I don't care about any stupid pit! If you're scared then go home! As for me, I'm going after that little punk! And when I catch him I'm going to kill him!" Two of them continue on and, although reluctantly, the third teen follows. "You hear me Riley? You're dead meat! I'm going to hurt you so bad your parents aren't going to recognize you when I'm done!"

* * *

><p>The tree line had come to an end as Ryan entered a clearing filled with mostly mud and grass which stuck to the bottom of his shoes like glue or gum, making it all the more difficult to keep running. However, he is forced to stop entirely as he arrived at the pit in question: a fifty foot deep crevice in the ground, made up entirely of mud, moss and rock, stretching across most of the field. <em>If I can get across this I can go through the golf course, up Raccoon Run and I'm home free. <em>He backed up a few feet and readied himself to make a leap over. "This is a bad idea!"

Ryan gathered up what courage he could muster and hurried forward, jumped high into the air and landed a mere few inches away from the ledge. He prematurely breathed a sigh of relief only to have it short lived when the ground beneath him crumbled.

Gerardi and his friends showed up just in time to see him fall backwards. Before they could attempt to react, a bright turquoise colored light blinded them as it erupted from inside the crevice and over the entire area, ending as fast as it had begun.

The three teenagers carefully made their way towards the pit and peeked over into the wound of earth. "Oh, dude, I don't see him. And what the hell was that light? Did you see that?"

"I totally saw it. Looked like something right out of The Twilight zone." The other two discussed what they have witnessed leaving Scott to ponder his own ideas, especially the consequences of being directly involved in what they _all_ feared had happened. "You think he's…? I mean…we should probably go get help, right? Like the police or the fire department?"

"And then what? Tell the cops we chased him all the way up here and right into a big hole! He's dead. End of story. Not our fault."

"So then what should we do? What if he's still alive? We can't just leave him down there. Not to mention his friend Zack watched us go after him. He'll rat us all out faster than you can say juvenile hall."

"I'll take care of _that_ loser. You both just keep your mouths shut because, if either one of you say a word about this, _I will _throw you down there _myself_." With that they retreated back into the wooded area headed back towards civilization.

* * *

><p>The same light he'd fallen into launched Ryan backwards onto a soft patch of grass underneath a large oak tree. "How many times am I going to get thrown on my butt in one day? I've got to hold the world record by now. Oh…well at least this time it was a softer landing."<p>

While on his back he had no other option but to look straight up into the sky which prompted his jaw to go agape. High in the sky he spotted something that literally took his breath away...the Earth surrounded by three separate rings of digital code with dozens of pink colored data streams protruding from its surface. "Something tells me... I'm _definitely not_ in Kansas anymore."


	2. The Fox And The Hounded

For over an hour Ryan sits with his back against a large grey colored boulder, knees cradles against his chest in a state of shock about the events that had just occurred. _Okay, Ryan, think…you were running from them, you fell into the pit, there was a light and now you're on another planet!_

Although there was an infinite amount of space around him he felt as if walls were closing in on him. His breathing became shallow and his nerves were whittled down to almost nothing. Every sound from the dense forest he was now in only added to his paranoia. The only thing keeping him from losing his mind were the thoughts of his family: his father, his sister, his mother and even his Siberian husky, Storm, whom he had forgotten to feed that morning.

Out of nowhere he began to hear the faint sounds of something approaching the area extremely fat. The ground began to rumble as if an earthquake was occurring but Ryan knew somehow that it was far from what he thought it was.

Ryan quickly jumped to a vertical base and looked down the trail he was sitting just off of, noticing a large cloud of dust rapidly moving in his direction. "No way…that's impossible!" Out of the dust appears a herd of Monochromon stampeding straight at the awe struck boy who snaps back to reality and realizes the danger he is in. "Holy shit!"

Having no place to go to in order to get out of their way he tries climbing up one of the trees but cannot manage to secure a grip due to its sheer size.

Seconds left before being trampled he closes his eyes in preparation for the inevitable. "Hold on!" Ryan hears the female voice followed by a grip around his waist before getting an assisted jump up to the safety of a tree branch while the Monochromon move through the area uninterrupted.

"Thanks. I thought I was…" Turning to look at his savior his expression changes from that of relief to a mixture of surprise, fright and complete numbness of thought. "…I don't feel so good." His eyes roll back as he loses consciousness almost falling out of the tree in the process but is grabbed by a pair of white paws clad in purple colored gauntlets and labeled with yin-yang symbols just above the wrist.

"You're welcome." She sarcastically replies, cradling his now limp body in her arms.

* * *

><p>Ryan's vision slowly comes back into focus as he begins to reawaken from his deep slumber, greeted by a calm night sky and a warm fire illuminating the surrounding area in a visually pleasing orange-yellow glow. "What…what happened?"<p>

"You fainted after I saved you from that stampede." The same voice Ryan had heard earlier seemed to appear out of nowhere. He frantically looked in all directions trying to find the source. Being unable to do so he decides to try and make a run for it only to be stopped by the same creature that had rescued him hours earlier, silhouetted by the night. "Relax. You don't have to be afraid of me. My name is Renamon."

As she stepped into view he could see that she indeed meant him no harm but was still amazed at the fact that he was talking to a yellow furred fox standing on two legs. "I'm Ryan. Ryan Riley."

"If you don't mind my asking, Ryan, how exactly did you get here from your world?" Renamon had posed the exact question that he had been trying to answer since his arrival.

"I'm really not sure. I was being chased by some guys from school and the next thing I knew I was here." While answering her question he continued to study her with a lot of curiosity. "Can I ask you something? You're a digimon right?" Renamon nodded, confirming what he had known since he had seen the Monochromon. "Then that means…I'm in the Digital World!"

Ryan couldn't believe the words he had just spoken because he was under the assumption that Digimon only existed within the realm of a television show. A million questions began racing through his head: Was this real? Was he dreaming or worse? How was he going to get back home?

"I found some food while you were asleep. Are you hungry?" Seeing that he was still out of it a little, Renamon opened the small sack she had with her. Inside was an assortment of fruits and vegetables that looked very ripe. "Go ahead. Take whatever you'd like."

Although hesitant he reached over slowly and seized a perfect looking red apple in his hand, inspected it thoroughly before taking a bite. "It's good. Thanks." The nourishment helped take the edge off of everything. For the first time since he had arrived Ryan was able to calm down despite the fact that there were still many problems ahead. "I don't want to sound rude or anything, Renamon, but how come you're helping me out so much? And how is it you were in the right place at the right time to save my life?"

"I've been travelling through the digital world, waiting for the tamer who will help me digivolve and grow stronger." Ryan had no idea what she was talking about but tried piecing together her cryptic statement with his own intellect.

"Tamer? Is that the same as a digidestined?" There was no doubt in his mind that this digital world was not the same one from the show. It _looked _and _felt_ like it had a more realistic tone than the one Tai Kamiya and his friends had traversed through in the first season. But it also had many similarities including the fact that digimon themselves needed humans in order to reach a higher digivolution. And then it dawned on him. "Wait. Do you think I'm your tamer? Is that why you're doing all this for me? Why you saved me?"

"I do believe that you might be my tamer, yes, but it's not the only reason I helped you if that's what you're implying." Her icy blue eyes went right through him as she seemed to take his comments as an insult to her integrity. "Tamer or not… I wouldn't have left you to be destroyed.

Ryan began feeling a tremendous amount of guilt over making her out to be selfish in her actions. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound the way it did. I've just had a very _weird _day. Not to mention that my mom is probably going crazy trying to figure out where I am." Again his thoughts went back to his family having no idea when or if ever he would see them again. "But about being your tamer…shouldn't I have a digivice or something if I was?"

_He's right. If he was my tamer then he would have a digivice. But if he isn't my tamer, then what is he doing here in the digital world? Humans don't just show up here for no reason. And now that I've found him I can't just leave him to roam the digital world alone. He wouldn't survive. _"You have a point. Regardless I'm leaving this place when it's light. You're more than welcome to join me if you want."

"That sounds good to me. Who knows? Maybe I'll find a way to get home by going with you." A great yawn escapes from his mouth reflecting the stress on his body from the interdimensional travel as well as the day in general.

Renamon rose to her feet and motioned towards the forest. "I'm going to gather supplies to build a shelter with. I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere… unless you want to meet some digimon who are a lot less _pleasant _as I am." With the sound of an electrical crackle she disappeared leaving Ryan stunned at just how blunt she had been with him.

Nearly an hour later, in human world time, the two were lying on separate beds of leaves in a small hut the vixen had erected for the night. As Renamon slept quite easily, Ryan was having difficulty even closing his eyes which were transfixed on the distant planet above through the spaces in the wood. _I always thought it would be cool if something like this happened to me. But that was when it couldn't have. Now I just want to go back home. Why am I even here? I'm not a digidestined or Renamon's partner. And if digimon exist how come they've never been seen in my world? Well, whatever, I guess I should try to get some sleep. _

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the forest, a ways off from where Ryan and Renamon are located, a lone Wizardmon is sitting by his own fire when he hears a noise behind him followed by the sight of a shadow from the corner of his eye. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Staff in hand, he goes to investigate. He hears another sound from behind some brush which puts him on high alert. "Electro Squall!"<p>

The foliage is instantly incinerated by the attack but there is nothing there. Wizardmon turns to go back but there is a gust of wind that literally changes the entire environment around him. The once warm, comforting night air now weighs heavily with a cold, depressing feeling. From afar he watches as his fire goes out leaving nothing but a cloud of billowing smoke in its wake. _A familiar face…and ironically…my first meal!_

Having heard the devilish voice, Wizardmon spins around and begins firing multiple attacks but they have no effect on his target and he is easily overwhelmed.

* * *

><p>A blood curdling scream pierces the quiet and comforting night air. Renamon's eyes open, having sensed the distress of someone in the distance. She phase shifts out of the enclosure and begins looking in different directions. "Renamon, what is it? What's going on?" Ryan asks, awakened by the fox's quick yet noisy actions.<p>

"Someone's in danger." She stops while facing to the north of their camp. "We have to go."

"Go as in help or go as in getting the heck out of here before whatever it is comes after us?" Ryan had no intentions of getting involved in anymore danger. The only thing he wanted to do at the moment was rest. But Renamon shot him a rhetorical glance which was enough to assure him she had meant the former. "Okay, never mind. I just hope you know what you're doing."

After getting some light from the dwindling fire, and putting it out afterwards, the two set off into the darkened forest with no idea of what they would find…or what would find _them_.


	3. Rotten To The Core

After walking for what seemed like forever Renamon and Ryan, who felt as if his legs were going to collapse underneath him, finally reach their destination. "Looks like whoever was here left in a _big_ hurry." Sticking the torch into the ground he tosses a few branches lying about into the already waning flame bringing it back to life. "Renamon…look…"

There on the ground, several feet away from the duo, is a torn up wizard's hat which she walks over, picks up and studies carefully for a moment. "This belongs to a Wizardmon." Although his hat was present there was no sign of the digimon it belonged to. "I wonder what could have happened to him."

"Well, no offense to _Wizardmon_, but I think Ryan and _Renamon_ should leave before whatever did this comes back for seconds." Ryan explained, worried that they would share the same fate as Wizardmon.

Though Renamon was initially annoyed by her companion's constant hypochondria she acknowledged to herself that his words had validity. She placed the hat back where she found it in the dirt and walked back over to Ryan who was standing right next to the fire pit. "There's nothing more we can do. Let's…" The fur on her entire body began to stand on end before being able to finish her sentence.

"Oh…you've got that look like something bad is about to happen." Ryan could begin to feel that something was amiss and had no problem expressing his concerns. It was then he noticed something that made his heart skip a beat. "Hey, Renamon…where did the hat go?"

Both Renamon and Ryan look at the spot where she had put the hat down only to discover that it was gone. "I don't know…Ryan look out!" She pushes him aside just in time but is hit head on with a jolt of electricity which sends her into a tree. An explosion of splinters flies in all different directions followed by the vulpine digimon falling to the ground in a severely weakened state from the attack and impact.

"Renamon are you alright? Answer me!" Unable to see or hear her due to the distance she was sent Ryan grabs the still light torch and attempts to find her but is stopped by Wizardmon who, with completely white eyes and a more feral look than normal, reappears in front of the youth. He begins backing up slowly, holding the torch up in front of himself as a weapon. "Get away from me!"

Wizardmon laughs maniacally and swats the flaming branch out of the boy's hands with his staff, continuing to advance on him. "Get down!" A ball of blue fire whizzes over the humans head and connects with its target, deleting him in an instant. Ryan gazes at the data of the digimon as it dissipates into the air before turning his attention to who the attack had come from. "Sorry for cutting it so close. Are you okay, kid?"

To his surprise it was the same cloaked figure that had helped him back on Earth. "It's you! But… what are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?"

"I've been tracking what did _that _to Wizardmon. Unfortunately, I seemed to have just missed it. In your case, I was in the right place at the right time." The explanation does little to ease Ryan's already weary and confused mind. "I hope you understand I had no choice but to destroy him. There's no coming back from what it did to him."

"You lost me. What exactly happened to Wizardmon? And what could to that to a digimon in the first place?" Ryan asked, desperate for an answer he could understand.

"I'll assume you know what a soul is?" Ryan nods in order for the explanation to continue. "Well for digimon there's a part of their DigiCore, the very thing that allows them to exist, which serves as the basis of their identities. This core is essentially the soul of a digimon. And that's what was taken from Wizardmon by the creature that attacked him. As for what changed him into a shell of his former self, all I can tell you is that it is the embodiment of pure evil. It has no conscience, no reasoning and only exists to destroy anything in its path. So be careful going forward."

"Wait!" Ryan exclaims as he begins walking away. "Did you bring me here? Can you send me back home?"

"I didn't bring you here but I _can_ send you home." Ryan breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that his ordeal in the digital world was all but over. "Unfortunately not until this thing is stopped. Otherwise I risk sending it to your world and I can't in good conscience do that. I'm sorry. And, by the way, you may want to check on your friend."

Ryan realizes that he had gotten so caught up worrying about himself that he had forgotten about Renamon, who was still lying in the woods unconscious. After several minutes of searching he managed to locate her surrounded by various pieces of wooden debris. "Come on, Renamon, wake up! Wake up!" After shaking her several times she finally responds and begins to stir. "Oh, you're okay."

"What was it?" Renamon asks, slowly beginning to regain her composure and, for the most part, unharmed.

"I think you'd better sit down. You're never going to believe…" Ryan nearly forgets who he is talking to and where he was. "…no, actually you probably will."

* * *

><p>Over the next several minutes he recounts to her everything that had happened while she was out. "If everything you've just told me is true, than Wizardmon may not be this monsters only target. All digimon who come across it are in danger."<p>

"So, what are we supposed to do about it? I mean, you can't digivolve without your _tamer_. There's really not much _I _can do myself. Maybe we should just let this guy, whoever he is, just take care of it himself." The fear was radiating off of him like heat from a furnace. He had no intentions of taking on something that powerful and vicious.

Renamon closed her eyes and took a deep breath, no longer able to stand the negative attitude put on display by her human companion. "I understand." She rose from her seat and began walking away. "You're afraid. There's nothing wrong with that. But there are also others in danger and I just can't sit by knowing they're not warned. Maybe _you_ can but I can't. Goodbye."

"Wait a minute; you can't just leave me here!" The vixen continues on without saying a word. "Okay, okay! I'm coming. There's no way I'm staying out here by myself. Where are we going anyway?"

"There's a village not too far from here. I just hope that we're not too late to warn them."

* * *

><p>The morning light washes over the many landscapes of the digital world as the duo exit the forest onto a beautiful overlook of the green valley below. Directly in the center of it were numerous small grey and beige colored buildings that stretched on for several miles. "Is that it? The village you were talking about earlier?"<p>

Renamon nods but starts to get another sensation similar to the one she had gotten during the night. "Something's wrong. I think it's already been here." She contemplated whether or not to bypass the village all together and continue on the way. _If there's a chance anyone survived, they may need our help. _"Let's go."

After another short stretch of walking they arrive in the small village and find it like a ghost town. A brisk wind stirred up small amounts of dust adding to the overall emptiness of the vicinity. "Okay. I understand I keep annoying you with the obvious but I just want you to know that this is how a majority of horror movies start. Two unwitting travelers happen upon the _seemingly_ empty town and not long after that all hell breaks loose."

"You're right…" Ryan could hardly believe his ears. For the first time since they had met she agreed with him on something. "…you _are _annoying me."

"Ha, that's so funny I forgot to laugh. Look around, Renamon! There's nobody here! We just walked all this way to get to the village of the damned!" He walks a few feet in the opposite direction, visibly upset that she continued to put them in danger for no apparent reason. After cooling off his attitude his conscience goes right back to work. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled like that. I'm just not used to all of this. Where I come from all I have to worry about is getting my face caved in by a douche named Scott Gerardi. Monsters are way out of my league."

"Listen to me, Ryan. Sometimes things happen that you have no control over. And complaining about them doesn't make them go away. It only makes things worse." Spirits began to lighten as she tried to reach him. "I promise that I won't let anything bad happen to you. No one will hurt you as long as I'm around."

Based on her words, and actions the previous night when she took an attack for him, Ryan felt as if for once he had someone who he could really depend on. She had become his protector, a role that no one had ever filled before. "Thank you, Renamon. And I promise not to get on your nerves anymore."

A big smile forms on his face causing her to raise an eyebrow in an understanding type of confusion. "I'm going to look around. I want you to stay right here."

Ryan's response was to hold three fingers up which satisfied Renamon more than a verbal one would have. She makes her way down the empty block, disappearing around a corner seconds later. _Well…alone again. That digimon disappears more than Houdini. _Upon examining the buildings surrounding him, the curious boy finds one with a raised brown awning marked with the word restaurant in bold white lettering. _Oh, I'm hungry. Hmm…since there's no one around, I don't think anyone would mind me helping myself to some snacks._

Opening the door and peeking in, he does not observe any employees or any patrons inside. The eatery itself was decorated in a 1950's style décor complete with a juke box against the wall at the opposite end of the room. However, it was much larger than it looked from the outside which added more to the mystery of this world in his mind.

"Something smells good." The aroma flared under his nostrils all the way down his esophagus hope no one _else_ does."

Upon entering the kitchen there was a large silver soup kettle simmering on an unlighted stove top, steam rising out of the basin. _Wait a minute. If that's still hot then someone was here. I'd better go find Renamon…right after I have a little taste. _His right hand seized the wooden spoon off the counter which he put into the pot and scooped out a decent portion of the brown broth.

"Here goes nothing." The utensil presses against his lips ever so gently and is tipped steadily allowing it to pour down his gullet. "Wow! That is good!" While continuing the small feast Ryan failed to notice the enormous shadow beginning to loom over him until he lifted his head up and seeing it casting on the wall.

"No…money…no…soup…" Digitamamon groaned. The symptoms he was exhibiting mirrored the same that Wizardmon had displayed. "…deadbeat…must…destroy…"

Ryan drops the spoon into the soup and started to back up towards the exit. "Take it easy. I'll pay you. I just need to get my money from my wallet. I left it outside, so…" As he lunges for the door Digitamamon lunges forward using his shell as a weapon. The attack misses but traps him with no other way out. _If I don't get out of here fast, the egg won't be scrambled…I will!_ With no time left to spare he gets an idea. "You know…your soup is _almost _perfect."

Digitamamon grunts in confusion. "What…mean…almost? My….soup…delicious…"

"Actually, if I got to be honest..." In one motion Ryan seizes the entire container and throws the scalding liquid into the opening of his shell, temporarily blinding his enemy. "You used way too much salt! Later!" Using the distraction to his advantage, he climbs through the serving window, tumbles over the counter and stumbles out the door knocking over several chairs and the cash register in the process. "Renamon, where are you?"

Digitamamon comes crashing through the wall colliding with Ryan who is sent flying through the air and ricochets off the wall before falling to the gorund. The enraged makes his way towards the downed human preparing to unleash the most powerful attack in his arsenal. Suddenly, two glowing white claw marks appear across the back of his shell which is more than enough to finish him off. His entire body breaks down into bits of data and is absorbed by the digimon who destroyed him.

"I'm tempted to make a pun about eggs for breakfeast but that was just _one _egg." Strabimon then notices Ryan who at the time was still knocked out from being tackled. "What do we have here?"


	4. Those Who Fight

As Strabimon makes his way over towards Ryan, still unconscious from Digitamamon's attack, his attention is drawn up to the adjacent rooftop where a silhouette blocks the light from his eyes. He watches with intrigue as Renamon flips down to the ground before rising up with a serious look plastered across her face. "Get away from him…now."

"I know what you're thinking. But I didn't hurt him. It was another digimon whose core had been corrupted. I saved his life." Strabimon explains, never taking his eyes off her and vice versa.

"He's telling you the truth, Renamon." She turns to see the cloaked figure standing there with the lifeless looking boy gently cradled in his arms. "The creature that corrupted Wizardmon who attacked you both last night did the same to all the digimon here in this village…all of who we had to destroy I'm sorry to say."

Ryan slowly starts to awaken, bringing a sense of relief along with him as he does. "Oh, anyone get the license plate number of that egg?" He laughs but gets no response from the others who fail to absorb the humor at his untimely joke. "Well I thought it was funny. Besides, I'm the one who got his butt handed to him by the most important meal of the day. "

"We don't have time for this. It's probably looking for more victims as we speak. And the more it feeds, the more powerful it becomes." There was no argument to be heard. The four of them had already experienced the power the dark entity was capable of unleashing and knew it would only get worse from there on out.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Renamon asks, insistent on doing anything in her power to assist them in their quest.

Initially hesitant at the offer set before him, Strabimon quickly comes to the realization that they would need all the resources they could get considering the power it had amassed. What started as a simple search and destroy mission had now become far more complicated than he ever could have imagined. And there was no choice at this point but for them to work together in order to accomplish their goal. "Yes, there is. By now the dark force has become too strong for any one of us to destroy. So we need you _both_ to acquire the only thing capable of stopping it…The Orb of Infinity."

"What does it do? And where can we find it?" Ryan interjects, showing the most curiosity and initiative he had since arriving in the digital world. Renamon, pleasantly surprised by his sudden change in demeanor, stares at him in utter shock. "What? If your world and mine are in danger, that means my family's in danger too. And I'm not going anything bad happen to them because of the way I've been acting. I'm with you now."

"Glad to hear it. And to answer both of your questions, Ryan, the Orb of Infinity is kind of like a prison for digimon. It acts as a gateway to another dimension where the most vile and despicable ones are sent. As for its location…" Just by the way his words began trailing off they knew immediately that it would be no easy task. "…it's on a map that's been split into four pieces and hidden in the different regions of the digital world."

Strabimon reaches into one of his pants pockets and produces a round silver medallion with a white jewel embedded in the center of it. "This will help you find it. All you have to do is hold it up to the sky and it will emit an energy beam that will point you in the direction of the nearest portion of the map." He places it around the boy's neck, entrusting him with a tremendous responsibility. "Guard it with your life. And good luck to the both of you."

"Wait!" Ryan yells to the being hidden beneath the garment as he and Strabimon are about to take their leave. "You never told us your name."

"I can't tell you my _real _name. But you can just call me Yin. We'll meet again my friends. Take care." With that they were gone, leaving the vixen and human behind in the desolate streets of the now abandoned village.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm kind of tired. Any chance we could just stay here for the night before going to search for this map? And before you answer, it's not a complaint…just a suggestion. It's entirely up to you." Taking a chance that Renamon would oblige him this one request so that he could rest in preparation for the long journey ahead.

As she contemplated her decision many factors had to be taken into account. If they stayed, there was a chance that the delay would hinder their progress in finding the map in time to stop the darkness. However they had not rested much the night before and, though she would never admit it, was feeling heavily taxed herself. "Follow me. I found something while I was looking around. It's not far."

"Hang on. Did we just actually _agree_ on something?" Ryan asks, having a hard time believing what he had just heard. "Man, if we don't be careful we might end up being friends."

Renamon stops and glares at him with a half sarcastic and serious tone. "Don't push your luck."

After walking for several blocks they come to a stop in front of an old fashioned inn built entirely from stone which had once been occupied by digimon who were passing through the village as a place to rest. From the outside it did not look like much but the same could not be said for the inside.

Just through the magnificent oak door was the front desk which was made out of magnificently carved red cedar, complimenting the maple flooring to near perfection. To the left of the desk was the small yet cozy living room complete with two ninety inch chocolate flavored couches across from each other with a marble table in the middle and a fireplace adjacent to both. The upstairs consisted of several sequential rooms all consisting of one queen sized bed, a small night table and a bathroom.

"I'll admit I did not expect this." There was a hint of excitement in his voice, enjoying the fact that he would be able to sleep in a real bed instead of one made from dry foliage. He raises his arms up and deliberately falls face first onto the mattress. "Get a shovel and bury me right here."

"Don't tempt me, I just might." Ryan scoffs, grabs a pillow and throws it at her head which she phase shifts out of the way to avoid and reappears in the same spot a second later. "Nice try. Good night."

By the coy tone in Renamon's voice he now knew that not only was she one to play the game but most of the time came out on the winning end and had no problem rubbing the losers face in it.

* * *

><p>The stillness of the night brings a peaceful slumber for Ryan who had been run ragged for nearly two days straight. However, that temporary escape from reality was soon to be interrupted by the sounds of creaking coming from the roof which rouse the young boy from the sweet serenity of his dreams.<p>

"Um…Renamon, did you hear that?" He scrambles quietly to the next room in fear that they might come under attack from another corrupt digimon. "Hey! I think there's _something _on the…"

Strangely, he discovers that Renamon was gone and that the window had been left open allowing a gentle breeze to ripple across the white curtains. The thought that she might have abandoned him and left had crossed his mind but deep down he knew better. _Wait a minute. Could she be…no…why would she be…then again, this is Renamon…there's no way…who am I kidding? Of course it's her._

Ryan leans out of the window and manages to locate a small red painted ladder leading up to the rooftop but knows without a doubt that Renamon had not used it. Upon reaching the top he spies the fox digimon standing on the ledge of the building with both arms crossed, staring up into the night sky with a spaced out expression.

"You know, I thought you were weird before. But this takes the cake." Ryan says, nonchalantly grabbing her attention. "Having trouble sleeping?"

"If I woke you, I apologize." She closes her eyes and bows to go along with the apology. "I just had some things on my mind."

"Don't apologize. It's cool. But now that I'm up, would you mind if I joined you?" Climbing onto the ledge he takes a spot right next to her and is instantly enveloped by the splendor of the sight before him. "Wow. I can see why thinking would be a lot easier up here."

"Can I ask you something, Ryan? What is it like on your world?" Renamon asks, curious about the planet she had never been to.

As Ryan was about to answer he became inexplicably perplexed by the ambiguity of her question and didn't quite know how to respond at first. "I think you'd have to see it for yourself, Renamon. Trying to explain it is kind of difficult. But I have to be honest…I'd take the digital world over mine any day of the week. No one likes me back there anyway."

"Don't say that. Just because you aren't liked by some doesn't mean you're hated by all."

"I know that." The anguish in his voice resonated from deep within his very soul. "Sometimes it's just hard to deal with. I'm not a fighter like you. My battles are against a different enemy with different powers. And sometimes they hurt worse than any attack from a Wizardmon or a Digitamamon could."

Renamon places a paw on his shoulder, her touch filled with compassion and understanding. "It's very noble to not want to fight. But not everyone is like you, Ryan. And it's alright to stand up for yourself and others against those who want to hurt you. If you don't know how, I suppose I could teach you."

"You're going to teach me some moves? Awesome! Can you teach me one now?" Ryan asks overly excited to begin learning some self-defense techniques. "How about some kicks? Or punches? Do you know any good combos?"

As the eager lad begins throwing mock boxing punches at Renamon she grabs his wrist, twists it to the right and flips him onto his back. "First some rules. The first rule: Don't do that _ever_ again."

"Oh…" Soreness and minor pain are quickly accompanied by several groans. "…Somehow I think I just opened up the gates of hell. I've got to learn to keep my big mouth shut."


	5. Dreams and Desperations

A good night's rest helps to revitalize Ryan and Renamon who are ready to begin their quest to acquire the four pieces of the orb map. Time was indeed of the essence and there was no more of it left to spend on arguing or complaining.

"Alright…here goes _something_." Once again standing on the rooftop of the old inn, Ryan raises the medallion high into the air. They both watch as a bright white light begins emanating from it. With a force that nearly knocks the young man off his feet a single rope of energy explodes onto the horizon, pointing the way towards their first destination. "Well, now we know where to go. I just wish we didn't have to walk all the way there."

The faint sound of a train whistle in the distance can be heard by the two. "I think you just got your wish. Look…"

Plumes of steam rise through the air as a single Locomon approaches from the south on the train tracks that are barely visible amidst the luscious green landscape beginning around the outskirts of the village. "There are trains in the digital world, too? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Next thing you'll tell me is that the train _itself _can talk."

By the time they reached the station Locomon had already arrived and was waiting patiently for any passengers. "Let's go, all aboard. I got to keep on running."

Ryan's eyes widen and then droop heavily as he places a hand onto his head. "Oh…I give up. I really do."

They enter the first passenger car which was made up of a solid brown interior and lined with several rows of dark green seats that stretched the entire length of the compartment. Both of them sit across from one another as Locomon slowly begins moving, picking up speed until he is in full motion.

"What's wrong, Ryan?" Renamon asks, noticing that he had been watching as the village quickly disappeared from sight.

"I just feel bad… about Wizardmon, Digitamamon and all the others who Yin and Strabimon had to destroy. It just doesn't seem fair, you know?" The vixen digimon had, for all intents and purposes, _literally _been given another piece of the puzzle that was the human who sat before her. She could see now that one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses was his love for life. It was in turn what made him an easy target for those who were looking to take advantage of someone.

"I understand. And you're right. It isn't fair they had to suffer. But if there _was _a way to save them, I'm sure our friends would have." Her words offered him some comfort given the fact that he had never witnessed before this the death or destruction of anyone or anything. "Remember, Ryan, sometimes there are no choices. You just have to do what you know is right in your heart even if it's not easy."

With a deep breath to help relieve his anxieties Ryan smiles and nods. "You always know just what to say don't you?" A slight burning sensation begins to affect his eyes which he begins to rub with his index finger and thumb. "Seeing as how we're probably going to be on this train for a while, would you care if I took a nap?"

Seeing that Renamon did not seem to mind, he closes his eyes and slowly nods off with his face and shoulder leaning gently against the wall.

* * *

><p>A reddish orange sky overcasts the entire landscape of the ruined city. Partially destroyed buildings reek with the smell of fire and soot to go along with the multiple blown out windows. Debris lay strewn amongst the numerous wrecked cars lined along the streets as if they were still carrying drivers on their way home, to work or wherever they had been headed.<p>

Ryan finds himself in the middle of an intersection amidst the now settled chaos. _What's going on here? I was on a train with Renamon and now I'm here…but where's here?_

"Thisis _your _future, boy…" The diabolical voice seemed to originate from out of nowhere. "I can feel the pain you carry in your heart…the anger and hatred that radiates from within your very soul! Together, no one would be able to stop us! All you have to do is give in to the darkness!"

"What are you talking about? Who are you and what did you with Renamon?" There was no response from whoever or _whatever_ it was that he had been talking to which only infuriated him further. "Answer me!"

He hears a sinister laugh and knows that it is only a prelude of worse things to come. "Be careful what you wish for."

The street suddenly comes to life sending a tidal wave of asphalt and concrete rushing towards him. He tries to run but finds himself unable to do so as his feet have begun sinking into the ground which has become like a pit of quick sand. "Ugh! Renamon! Help me!"

As Ryan is about to be engulfed by the oncoming manmade tsunami he is violently awakened when the train comes to a screeching halt causing him to be sent flying forward. Renamon makes the save and prevents him from incurring serious injury as they finally come to a complete stop. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. What happened?" Ryan asks, almost unsure of what was real or not following his all too real nightmare.

"I'm not sure. We were moving along fine and then Locomon just stopped out of nowhere."

The sound of the train's whistle sounds through each compartment sequentially. "This is the last stop. I repeat this is the last stop. I got to keep on running."

_Did that really happen or was it all just a dream? _Ryan then begins shivering and notices that his breath had become visible in the air. "Why is it so cold in here all of a sudden?"

Both of them look outside and are greeted by an environment similar to that of the Antarctic. The glass of the window was nearly frozen solid and felt like a fresh sheet of ice. "Looks like you've got your answer."

"Okay, I realize his name is Locomon but he's definitely crazy if he thinks we're getting off here. There's no way I'm getting off this train in this. Not happening."

* * *

><p>Locomon circles around the tracks and heads back the way they had come leaving Renamon and Ryan standing on the platform in the middle of nowhere during a raging snowstorm. "I…can't believe…we got off...in the middle…of the arctic…now…we're going…to…die…out here!" Ryan barely manages to say having to bear hug himself and hunch over in an attempt to try and stay warm.<p>

"It's all in your mind." Renamon replies, un-phased by the icy cold wind or the temperature.

"That's easy…for you to say…you have…fur…I…don't!" The more he continued to talk about it the worse it got.

"Let me rephrase that for you. Things work differently here than they do in your world. If you believe that you're cold then you are." Her explanation on the physics of the digital world does little to ease the numbness in his cheeks and hands.

"So you're saying…if I stop…thinking I'm cold…then…I won't be?" Renamon closes her eyes and nods. "Great…sounds crazy….but what…about these last…few days…isn't?"

He decides to give it a try and begins thinking extremely hard, trying to trick his mind into thinking that it was warm and not cold, based on the sensation of sight. "Well…how do you feel?"

Ryan stops shivering, feeling returns to his face as well as all of his digits and his skin goes from a solid white back to its normal color in the blink of an eye. "Oh, you've got be kidding me. It actually worked! I'm cold anymore!" The medallion on his chest begins glowing on and off very weakly. "Hey look! This thing's reacting to something! Maybe it means we're close to a piece of the map!"

"I think you're right. Let's get moving." Renamon leads the way and Ryan follows as they leave the station and begin trudging through the near waist high snow.

* * *

><p>For several hours the two make their way across the white coated land while the medallion's glow continued to get stronger with every mile they put behind them. "I got to tell you, this is awesome. I probably never would have seen anything like this back home in my lifetime."<p>

The sheer beauty of the region they were in may have dazzled Ryan but it did not fool Renamon at all. She knew that some of the most spectacular sights were often the deadliest. Although the cold was not a problem for either of them there were still the countless numbers of wild digimon roaming around who posed an even bigger threat than the environment ever could and with daylight nearly having run its course she knew they would need to find shelter soon.

"Stay close. We don't know what surprises we might run in to next." Renamon says, noticing that he had begun falling behind.

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?" Ryan asks, unconvinced that there could be any form of danger in such a wide open space. "I mean, there's no one out here other than us which I'm _not_ surprised about. Not to mention that both _you _and _I _have had so many surprises thrown our way lately that I don't think anything could surprise me any….more!"

The yellow vixen spins around, after hearing his scream which started loud and quickly got faint, noticing a large ice hole where he had previously been standing. "Ryan!"

Renamon dives into the cylindrical crystalline tunnel and rides it like a slide all the way down to the exit which empties out underground and onto a large mound of snow. She flips and lands at the very bottom of the pile where she finds Ryan laying upside down on a forty five degree angle and displaying a humbled look. "You say one word and you're eating a snowball for dinner. I'm not kidding." As she was about to respond both eyes widened a little which was out of character since nothing ever seemed to affect her in the slightest. "What?"

Ryan sits up and crawls on his hands and knees to the top of the snowy slope. "Whoa…I think we may have just maxed out the surprise meter…permanently."


	6. A DangerIce Situation, Part 1

"Damn, I feel bad for whoever had to chisel that." Ryan finds himself unable to break his gaze from the vast palace of ice in the distance. The sheer size of it was more than enough to impress, its height reaching close to the top of the underground dome. "Okay call it a hunch but I'm willing to bet the piece of the map we're searching for…is in _there_!"

"You really like to point out the obvious, don't you?" Renamon asks, mildly amused at the boys childish antics.

"Well only as much as you enjoy making emotionless faces." The grin he responded with had fortified his victory this round in their ongoing battle of wits but he was sure it would continue for as long as the two of them were together. "Do you hear something?"

Renamon's ears twitch slightly and pick up the sounds of approaching footsteps in the snow. Not sure of what to expect she pulls Ryan down from his powdery perch and puts him behind her in the event that things took a turn for the worse. But even so there was virtually no safe place for either one of them to go, encased and surrounded by layers upon layers of ice which made up the majority of the region.

Over the wintry horizon appeared a form that almost perfectly blended into the surroundings like camouflage. A lone Frigimon approached and had come to a stop only a few feet away yet still towering over them. Fortunately, despite his overwhelming stature, this particular species of digimon were known throughout the digital world for being quite harmless.

"A digital bear made out of snow…" There was a nonchalant demeanor about him, having grown accustomed to seeing some truly bizarre sights in this world. "...will wonders never cease?"

"Welcome to Nix Town. We've been expecting you." Ryan and Renamon looked at each other, unsure of how to react. Their discovery of this place had been purely accidental and yet here was a digimon who had been awaiting their arrival. "If you'll follow me, we haven't much time to lose."

Although Ryan was hesitant to trust Frigimon, Renamon almost immediately began following his lead. She knew that gathering all pieces of the Orb Map was of the utmost importance. And they had no choice but to take the chance that this was all some kind of trap meant to interfere in their quest. Yin and Strabimon had entrusted them both to accomplish the task at hand and failure was not an option at this point.

The town itself was surrounded by a wall built from blocks of ice in order to protect its many inhabitants, all of whom were digimon that thrived in the cold or were simply able to withstand its harsh effects.

Ryan could feel the countless number of eyes focused in on him to go along with the hushed whispers as he followed behind Frigimon and Renamon. Most digimon were unaccustomed to seeing a human being but knew that they were the ones who had the power to bring about digivolution and thus desired to be _tamed_. "Great. On Earth I'm nobody. In the Digital World I'm more popular than Harry Potter. Go figure."

"Right this way." The temperature started to drop the closer they got to the palace. "Master Baihumon is anxiously waiting to see you."

"Question: Who's Baihumon?" Ryan asks, continuing his ongoing education of all things digital.

"Baihumon is one of the four sovereign who protect the digital world. Just to be allowed in his presence is a great honor, so make sure you watch what you say in front of him." Ryan brings his fingers to his mouth and makes a zipper motion as they finally reach Baihumon's palace.

The façade had a Romanesque feel to it with pillars and arches supporting the entire structure. The same was true for the inside which resembled the inside of an Italian church, the main room being just as large as the entire building itself. _If Baihumon needs this much room, I'd hate to see where the other sovereigns live. I hope you know what we're getting into, Renamon._

They pass through three smaller anti-chambers before coming to the final one which Frigimon seemingly refuses to enter. "You're not coming in with us?" Ryan asks, already nervous about going through the last passage.

"Master Baihumon is only expecting the two of you. It would be disrespectful for me to enter his sanctuary without reason." Frigimon turned to take his leave but stopped and looked back momentarily. "Good luck, to both of you." Ryan's heart sank from his chest into his stomach solely based on the fact he had wished them luck which could only have meant that something terrible was awaiting them.

Renamon led the way while Ryan kept close behind, so much that if she were to walk any slower or stop he would run right into her. "I know you're scared but you don't have to be. I can assure you that Baihumon has no intentions of harming either one of us."

They come across a large silk curtain concealing a massive archway behind it as well as the digimon sovereign. Renamon opens the curtain by pulling it apart at the middle revealing an exact replica of the roman colosseum from the inside. Far above was a large rift in the ice which more than likely served as Baihumon's entrance and exit to his layer.

"So, you've arrived at last." His voice echoed with might and power that equally matched his visage. "Yin foretold of your arrival. I almost gave up hope that you would make it here in one piece, especially with the human slowing you down."

Ryan was about to respond to the oversized tigers rude comment until Renamon pulled him down onto a knee. _If she hadn't grabbed me just now, I would've given him a piece of my mind! What the hell was I thinking?_

"Then you know what we seek, wise Baihumon." Renamon replies, showing her respect while getting straight to the point.

"Indeed I do. You're looking for my piece of the map to locate the Orb of Infinity. However, you must first go through special trials in order to reach it. And there are three: courage, valor and sacrifice. Only by proving your worth will it be yours." Having already gone through more than their fair share of trouble, the revelation that obtaining just a _single piece_ of the map was going to be even more difficult than they had originally thought was a great disappointment, even to Renamon.

Just below the large pedestal that Baihumon sat upon, a doorway opened up unleashing an icy cold mist that hissed its way free. "Wait here, Ryan. If I don't come back…" Renamon had to stop herself from saying what she knew might happen for fear it would upset her companion.

"Let me go with you!" Ryan exclaims as she slowly made her way towards the entrance.

"No!" For the first time since they met, Renamon had yelled at Ryan which shocked him beyond belief. "It's going to be dangerous, more dangerous than the stampede, Wizardmon and even the corrupted digimon in the village. I can sense it. And I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. So just stay here and wait for me."

"You should do what your friend says. Where she's going is no place for a child, especially a _human_ one." Baihumon added to the argument.

Ryan detested the way that the sovereign had frequently referred to humans as if they were entirely inferior. Still, with a deep sigh he _reluctantly _decides to heed their warnings and let her go off alone. "Please…be careful."

"Don't worry. I will." Renamon replies, placing her paw on Ryan's shoulder to put him at ease.

Gathering up what courage she could, Renamon walks through the door and finds herself in a small hallway that resembled a carnival fun house with sheets of ice mimicking mirrors that show reflections in odd ways.

As the passage was about to seal itself off behind her, Ryan comes sliding through just in the nick of time. "Woo! That was fun!" Standing up and brushing himself off he notices the angry look on the fox's face. "Give me a break did you really think I was going to let you do this by yourself? I may be twelve but I'm not useless. And besides, you've already saved my life a couple of times. The least I can do is back you up."

Realizing that it was too late to send Ryan back, she had no choice but to bring him along. "Stay right behind me at all times and do exactly what I say." Though she never would have admitted it, deep down Renamon felt touched that he was willing to risk his own well-being to make sure that she was safe.

"So what did Baihumon say again? The first test is courage, number two is valor and the last one is sacrifice, right?" Ryan asks, trying desperately to recall what the trials were all based on.

"Yes, that's right. Why? Is there something wrong?" Renamon did not want to assume why he was asking about the trials and humored him, although she was sure it was because he was either scared or had doubts about his decision to accompany her.

"I was just thinking that courage and valor sound fine. It's the sacrifice part I'm not too thrilled about. That's why I couldn't let you do this alone." It was evident the bond between them had grown to the point that both felt the need to protect each other. And in order to get out of this alive they would also have to _work _together as a _team_. "Now let's go get this map and get out of here, if you don't mind."

Renamon could not help but smirk a little at his newfound boldness. "I don't mind at all."

* * *

><p>The duo suddenly comes to a halt at a dead end on the path they had been following for the past several minutes. "Do you see a way through? I'm not seeing one. And I don't think even <em>Baihumon<em> would send us down here for nothing."

With no possible way of getting out by going back to where they had started, Renamon was prepared to use her diamond storm attack to clear a path until she noticed a strange symbol carved into the wall just above her line of vision. "That marking…it looks exactly like the medallion Strabimon gave you, Ryan."

Ryan removes it from around his neck, looks at it and then compares it to the carving. "You're right. He must've known we couldn't find the map _or _enter where the pieces are hidden without _this_. It's not just a compass…it's a key too." After holding the medallion up above his head, the crystal produces a red energy that passes from the jewel to the carving which begins to glow entirely. It then releases the same energy in a zigzag pattern that splits the wall of sleet, granting them access to the first challenge. "Open sesame. Ladies first."

**...**

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, thank you for all the positive reviews. It's really good to see people enjoy what I have to write. I know my grammar is a little off (it's something I've been trying to get in check for a long while now and it's always been my biggest weakness as a writer unfortunately) so if anyone would like to be a Beta Reader for me, feel free to do so. Thank you. **


	7. A DangerIce Situation, Part 2

Renamon and Ryan entered what appeared to be a simple cavernous room. Boulders glazed with a light blue and white frost were scattered throughout the entire area save for the center space which remained clear. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary. I'm starting to wonder if that's good or bad."

"Look! There's the exit!" Ryan was quick to point out the unopened passageway but entirely ignored the two suits of armor, sculpted entirely out of ice, placed on either side of the door. "And here I was expecting a _challenge_. Come on!"

While he took off running, Renamon noticed a faint glimmer of jade light in both sets of armors helmets. "Ryan, stop, come back!" The warning had come too late as both frigid swords held by the frozen knights loosened from their statue like stillness and swung down at the eager boy who fortunately had pulled backwards and slipped onto his backside, narrowly missing the tips of the blades as they clanged together.

The fox digimon flips through the air and lands in front of the nerve rattled human, having come so close to _literally_ losing his head. "I'd come up with a cliché but I'm too scared to think of one."

"Get to safety! I'll take care of these two." Ryan scrambled over to the nearest cover he could find and looked on as Renamon was about to go into battle. "Come and get me, boys."

The vixen backflips to avoid two oncoming attacks, rebounds off the ceiling and spreads her arms in mid-air. "Diamond Storm!" Barrages of diamonds hit their mark but fail to do any damage to either of her enemies.

"Renamon! They're made of hard ice! Your diamonds won't have any effect on them!" Ryan yells, doing what he could to assist her in defeating them. "You're going to have to use hand to hand combat with these guys! And in case you're wondering how I know all this, I play a lot of video games!"

_Hand to hand combat, huh? Then here's your first lesson. _She uses her agility and speed to get close enough to one of the knights and connects with a swift kick which knocks its head off, effectively eliminating it from the fight. "One down…one to go."

The tide of the battle had seemingly turned until the other suit of armor strangely had picked up the helmet of its fallen comrade. Then, without warning, both melted into mere puddles of water. Neither Ryan nor Renamon understood what was happening. Before either could get their hopes up, both of the knights reformed into one which resulted in a much larger and stronger version of the originals.

"Are you kidding me? That's got to be cheating!" His protests garnered the attention of the soulless creature which picked up its discarded sword, in favor of a spiked gauntlet. "Not good." Ryan quickly disappeared behind the same snow pile he had been using for refuge as the blade was thrown like a spear in his direction, again missing its intended target and embedding itself deep in the ice.

Renamon flies through the air and delivers an otherwise devastating flying kick to the creature's chest. Un-phased, it grabs her by the leg and throws the vulpine digimon across the tundra like a flat stone across water.

_Oh, man! Renamon's in trouble! What am I going to do?_ "Oh, that's right, the sword!" Ryan suddenly remembered the weapon that had nearly been the object of his demise twice. Gripping the hilt and pulling with all his might releases it from the digital world's grasp. _Glad this is light enough. Okay, King Arthur, now what do you do with it? There's no way it's going to hurt that thing! _

A drip of cold water lands on his cheek, drawing his attention to the icicle covered ceiling high above. "Hmm…I think this just might work." Renamon, lying nearly helpless as the creature advances on her, spots her sword wielding human sidekick a few yards away. "Get out of the way! Trust me!"

"Do it!" Renamon yells before phase shifting out of the way in time to avoid what would have been the final blow.

Ryan brings the blade over his shoulder in a baseball swinging stance. "Say good night, frosty!" Using what strength someone of his size could muster, he swings the sword upwards and lets it go. The saber spins counterclockwise till it connects with a single icicle and falls harmlessly back to the terrain. "Somehow I saw that going a lot different in my head."

"Here he comes again." As the creature readied to attack once more, several small slabs of ice began falling on top of it. The size of the fragments started to increase in size as Renamon came to the sudden realization that Ryan's actions had somehow destabilized the entire roof of the cave. "We may want to run. Now!"

Across the way the door that had been sealed was now wide open. They both made a run for it as the entire space began caving in around them. Ryan looked back and watched as the knight was quickly engulfed in a solid white waterfall of sleet and ice. And, with only seconds to spare, the two made a head first dive into the next passage as the room was sealed off by the collapse. "I've heard…of bringing down the house…but really?"

"Must you use clichés every time we almost get destroyed?" Renamon asks, a bit roughed up but no worse for the wear.

"Well…I only use them…when I'm stressed out…and these last few days…" The tone of his voice became greatly emphasized. "…have been _really stressful_."

"Congratulations." Baihumon's voice sounded as if he were right there with them. "You have passed the first two trials. And it seems I may have underestimated you, boy. I had a feeling that Renamon's courage would suffice for the first task but it was _your_ valor that allowed you to not only defeat the guardian's but bring you one step closer to your goal. I must warn you, however, that the final trial is also the most difficult."

Upon those words his presence disappeared just as swiftly as it had arrived leaving them with nothing but one last thing to do. "I've said it before, I'll say it again: I don't like the way that this sacrifice thing sounds. But I know we can beat it, right?"

Ryan raised a hand which Renamon observed for a moment before bringing her paw up to meet it. "Right."

* * *

><p>The pair happened upon a circular lift at the end of the final pathway. They knew that this was only the end of the beginning. But one question still lingered in the air: would either one of themmake it out alive?<p>

When the lift finally came to a stop they were left in the middle of an even larger square shaped platform, hovering in mid-air deep inside of a cylindrical chasm. "Where is it? Where's the map? It's got to be here! There's nowhere else to go!"

The first thing that _Renamon_ noticed was the three large indigo crystal shards on each corner of the platform except for the fourth which was empty. "I believe these crystals are the keys to unlocking the map. Its data must be embedded inside of them and only by activating them will we be able to get it."

"I guess that makes sense. But there's only three. What's the fourth space for?" Ryan asks, not wanting to take a guess for fear that he might have been right for a change.

"One of us…that's the sacrifice Baihumon was talking about. In order to activate the remaining three crystals…I'll have to act as a conduit in place of the fourth."

"Whoa, hold the phone!" Ryan double takes after hearing her last statement. "What do you mean _I'll have to act as a conduit_? Renamon…you can't be serious. There's no way I'm going to let you do that. Besides, I can't find the next three pieces on my own. I could barely survive an hour in this world by myself. You're a digimon. You have powers I could never even dream of and you're the only one capable of finishing the mission Yin and Strabimon gave us. If anyone's acting as the conduit… it's me!"

"No! You're just a child. You shouldn't even be here. And…" Her voice began to choke up a little which was a first for the proud vixen. "…I don't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry…but it's the only way."

For a brief moment there were no emotional restrictions between the two of them. Tears streamed down Ryan's face while all Renamon could do was close her eyes and accept the fate she was about to endure for the sake of both worlds. There was no doubt that both truly cared deeply for one another despite their ongoing animosity and only having known each other for such a short period of time.

"I understand. But before you do I just want to say thank you. For saving my life, keeping me safe and putting up with me in general." Not worrying about what she would think he embraces the fox digimon in his arms, crying onto her furred shoulder. As Renamon was about to bring her arms up around him she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, having been kneed directly in the gut before collapsing to the floor. "Now it's my turn to save you."

Still mildly injured from her previous battle with both of the guardians, all she could do was watch as he jumped into position. "Ryan, don't! Please…Stop!"

All of her pleas fell on deaf ears as an electrical surge charged up from all three crystals. Ryan felt a similar energy begin coursing its way through his body but oddly felt no pain. Once the power levels had maxed out, each crystal, and Ryan, sequentially produced a stream of data from their data cores which began to restructure the map piece by piece.

Renamon recovered from the surprise assault and tried desperately to save her friend. "Ugh! No! Please, Renamon! Just get the map!" He was struggling to hold on and felt as though he could not last much longer. Once the map was entirely restructured Renamon seized a small window of opportunity, leapt high into the air and pulled it from the center of the energy orb surrounding it. At that moment all of the crystals ceased to be powered. Her first priority, once she landed safely, was to check on the status of her human companion.

"No…" A fourth crystal with Ryan, motionless and comatose, encased inside now stood in the once vacant spot. In a fit of rage and sadness Renamon tried with all of her power to shatter the oversized mineral and free him but to no avail. "…why? Why did you do that? You didn't need to protect me. I should have been the one protecting you like I promised I would. I'm...so sorry, Ryan. Forgive me."

"Do not be upset, Renamon." Baihumon appeared from the top of the fissure and made his way down. "Everything's going to be fine. Just watch."

Turning her attention back to Ryan she witnessed as the entire crystal slowly began melting away to nothing, which returned the young man back to his normal state and unharmed by the entire process. "Oh…What…what happened? I feel like I just went through the spin cycle on a washing machine."

"Welcome back." Renamon then looked towards the sovereign with more than her fair share of confusion. "But I don't understand. I thought this was a trial of sacrifice. How is Ryan still alive?"

"I was the one who designed these trials. And when I created this _particular_ one, I made it so that only the willing sacrifice by someone pure of heart would my quarter of the map be rewarded." Baihumon explained, preparing to return to his chamber.

"So, wait, it was never lethal in the first place? Then what was I sealed inside that thing for?" Ryan asks, stretching out his aching neck and back muscles.

"Of course it wasn't. I'm not a monster. To answer your second question, it was a safety measure to ensure that no physical harm would befall anyone during this trial. The crystal itself acted as a healing cocoon. However, you were most fortunate. _Had_ you been harmed, to a certain extent, you would have been trapped in there for quite some time. Speaking of which…" The golden spheres surrounding his body light up and create an energy gateway. "This will lead you towards your next destination and the next piece of the map. I wish you nothing but the best of luck…for all our sakes." With one gigantic leap out of the chasm, Baihumon disappeared from sight and into the storm.

"Renamon? Are you mad at me for that cheap shot?" Ryan asks, expecting some form of retaliation for his actions. "I mean, that's why I threw out those fake tears. To get your guard down. Don't get me wrong, I really didn't want you getting hurt either but you know there was no possible way I was getting the rest of this map by myself."

"I know. I'm just glad that you're okay." She reached over, grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him almost face to face with her. "But if you ever do that to me again, you won't be."

Ryan gulped, relieving the pressure from the lump in his throat that had formed due to the level of intimidation she was displaying. "Trust me. I won't even think about it. I have a feeling it wouldn't be healthy for me anyway."

"Good." Immediately after releasing the boy from her grip a heated feeling of embarassment overcame her. "By the way, were you able to _hear_ anything while you were stuck in there?"

He shook his head back and forth several times in response. "I completely blacked out after I watched you do that cool super jump. Why? Did you say something you don't want me to know about?" Ryan asks, smiling and trying to butter her up to learn what she had said.

"No. Just asking. Let's go." Ryan watched flabbergasted as she blew off his question and entered the portal, leaving him behind momentarily.

_Women. Digital or Human, I don't think I'll ever understand them for as long as I live. _"Hey, you're not getting rid of me that easily! Wait up!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: This chapter was probably one of the more difficult ones to write. I didn't want to make getting the first piece of map too difficult. But coming up with the sacrifice part took quite a bit of imagination. To be honest, I've been dreading this chapter solely because its the first major hurdle in the story for Ryan and Renamon. But what I have in store for later chapters is far, far worse than Baihumon's trials. Hope you guys like it!<strong>

**Update: 10/11/11-12:40 A.M.- I wanted to deepen the bond between Ryan and Renamon which is why there are a lot of emoitons between the two when they realize one of them may perish. As for a potential romance...that's for me to know and you to find out. This is a 52 episode, full season I'm planning to write. Anything could happen. **


	8. Training Daze

Yin and Strabimon stood amongst the ruins of _another_ devastated village that had fallen victim to the creature they continued to follow. The formerfelt something brush across the back his leg and looked down to see a strange yet somehow familiar sight: a pink cowgirl hat with a string attached to it. As he reached down retrieve it, the wind picked up and sent it floating off into the distance.

"I don't understand." Strabimon felt a surge of frustration begin welling up deep within his heart. "Whenever we come close to catching up with this thing it always seems to elude us. How is that possible? And why is it feeding on the cores of random digimon in the first place?"

"Your guess is as good as mine as to why we can't find it. But I can tell you the reason its been absorbing cores is because the essence of darkness lies within them. That's what it does. It preys on the fear and weakness of its victims for the sole purpose of replenishing its power and regaining a physical form."

A chill ran up the light warrior's spine as he slowly pieced together Yin's cryptic explanation. "Wait. Are you trying to tell me that what we're chasing after…is a digimon?"

"Yes." There was an overwhelming feeling of tension and despondency in the air."A very powerful one that should it succeed in repairing its damaged form and regaining its strength would have the ability to usher in a new era of evil and destruction like nothing you could possibly imagine. And If you believe that the D-Reaper you and the Sovereign are trying to prevent from returning is a threat to your existence, just wait. Because I can guarantee you that an evolved computer program is the least of their worries."

Strabimon had an overwhelming feeling that Yin was not being entirely honest with him. "You know more than you're telling me, don't you? And it has something to do with that human boy we sent to find the Orb with Renamon, doesn't it? What is so special about him if you do not mind me asking?"

The cloaked figure slowly turned to face the wizard digimon. "That _boy _is the _key_ to everything. His presence here in the Digital World is essential to its salvation. You must trust me on this. "

"Trust is not the issue here. You said this thing is drawn to those who exhibit strong sensations of fear and weakness, correct?" Strabimon asks, formulating an idea without getting right to the point.

"That's right. But why...wait...are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Yin asked, afraid to admit that he may overlooked an extremely comprimising and dangerous detail.

Strabimon replies by sternly nodding his head. "I am. Who exhibits those two emotions more strongly than a child? What we both failed to realize is that wherever this boy has gone the creature has followed."

"But that makes no sense. Ryan and Renamon were never here. So why is this village destroyed? Unless...a decoy! It traversed this far out of the way to keep us occupied so it could after him! Come on!"

* * *

><p>"You haven't said a word to me for hours. I thought you forgave me for hitting you." Renamon had indeed been tuning him out since they had exited Baihumon's portal and started travelling through the lush forest of palm trees it had transported them to. "Fine, ignore me. That's a really nice way of thanking someone who was willing to bite the bullet for you. And what about that training we were supposed to start? When's that happening?"<p>

Without warning Renamon stopped dead in her tracks. "For your information, I wasn't ignoring you. I was thinking. But if you _really _want me to train you to fight…I'd be happy to oblige."

_Oh…She's got that look in her eyes again. _"On second thought, we should go find the next piece of map."

"You're right." Ryan felt a sense of relief, believing he had gotten himself out of hot water. "But I don't believe one _quick_ lesson will hurt. And the first thing I'm going to teach you is the most important…how to dodge."

Renamon sweeps both legs causing Ryan to land hard on his back and temporarily knocking the air out of him. "What was that? You didn't even wait until I was ready!"

"Do you think your enemies will wait until you're_ ready_?" As hard as it was for him to admit she did have a point. The bullies he had to deal with back home would not hesitate to take a cheap shot at him. "In battle you must learn to expect the unexpected. And now we're even for what you did to me earlier."

"Oh, is that right?" Unhappy by the fact she had gotten even with him for kneeing her in the gut, Ryan uses a scissors kick between the fox's legs. Renamon falls backwards and watches as he kips up to his feet in a fighting stance. "Did I forget to mention I _used_ to take karate lessons and that Power Rangers _was_ my favorite show?"

There was a range of mixed emotions running through the vixens mind at the moment. Not only was she utterly shocked by the fact that a _human_ had been able to physically get the better of her two times but also by how his true personality began to shine through. Beneath all of the quips, awkwardness and fear was a strong willed individual whose only true weakness was what his greatest strength was too: a peaceful soul that had no desire to fight. "And did I forget to mention that if you ever put a hand on me again I'd hurt you? Oh wait, no I didn't."

"Well, if you want to be technical, I never a laid a _hand_ on you… just a knee and two feet." Ryan replied, pointing to each extremity as he did so. Renamon then shot him a dirty look before she disappeared from sight. _I hate it when she does that. _"Okay. Very funny, Renamon, you can come out now." There is no response from the vulpine digimon. "…Renamon?"

As Ryan turned to look in the opposite direction, Renamon reappeared and swiftly tackled him to the ground holding both his hands above his head as he tried to break free. "Stop struggling. I'm not going to hurt you. I was just trying to…"

While continuing to struggle, Ryan inadvertently kicked one of Renamon's legs which caused her to fall forward and land right on top of him. Neither of the two moved nor spoke for almost a minute due to the awkwardness of the situation they had found themselves in. "Um…I…uh…do you think you could get up? You're kind of crushing my pelvis."

Both of them get back to their feet and stare at one another in an awkward fashion. "We never talk about what just occurred. Agreed?"

"Gotcha…it never even happened. But can I still get those fighting lessons you promised?" Ryan asked, taking the chance she would agree in light of the _close encounter_.

"Yes, of course." Renamon replied, closing both eyes and bowing her head lightly. "Where would you like to begin?"

* * *

><p>Over a course of the next several hours Ryan began learning various fighting techniques from Renamon that could not be taught in any karate class or featured on any television show back on Earth, although at a very <em>stiff <em>price. "If I had known that I was going to be this sore afterwards, I probably would've reconsidered the offer." Every muscle in his body ached with pain as he sat down against the base of a palm tree across from the newly built fire and began massaging his extremities in an attempt to relieve the tension.

"Don't complain, Ryan. You were the one who insisted I teach you how to defend yourself." Renamon replied, leaning against another tree directly across from the boy.

"Yeah but I didn't know you were going to treat me like I was a rotten kid whose parents just put him in boot camp, drill sergeant." With one hand placed on top of his head and the other on his chin he slowly began cracking the vertebrae of his neck which had become very tender due to the intense workout he and Renamon completed. "Oh…I feel like I just got ran over by seven Mack trucks."

The digital vixen chuckled at his discomfort, feeling no ill effects from the execrise regiment. "I believe the expression goes… no pain, no gain?"

"That's a good one. Have you ever heard the saying no one likes a smart ass?" In an instant Ryan realized that he had become the pot calling the kettle black. "Then again, who am I to be talking? I'm the biggest one of them all, which is probably why no one likes me... including you."

Renamon's expression became more serious than it had ever been before as she walked over and sat down next to Ryan who continued working out the kinks in his muscles. "Why do you keep putting yourself down so much? Do you truly believe that _no one _likes you? Or do you just enjoy feeling sorry for yourself? And what makes you think _I _hate you?"

"It's no secret that there are _some _people who like me. But the majority of people I come across don't." Ryan felt just as he had the previous night on the rooftop, the same intense feelings of depression continued to plague him. "And I know you aren't thrilled with me being here. I complain way too much, I get on your nerves and I've been getting in your way of finding this map and saving the world. If I wasn't here you probably would have found it already. I'm sure of that." Picking up a twig from the pile of fire wood he began drawing pictures in the dirt. "No matter where I go, or what I do, I can never seem to fit in with anyone."

"Despite what you might believe you're wrong, Ryan." There was an aura of confusion about him as he listened intently to what she had to say. "While you do complain much more than anyone I've ever encountered and although you can be annoying at times you're still a good person. That's the reason that certain _humans_ don't like you, because of your strong will which makes them target and attempt to weaken you down to their level. Power makes them feel better about their inadequacies." Renamon slowly seized the delicate piece of timber from his grasp and placed it aside to gain his attention fully. "I do not hate you. You may get on my nerves at times but I don't take it to heart. And if not for you we wouldn't have that portion of the map in the first place. So don't think less of yourself, even for one second. _We _will find the remaining three pieces of the map and, together, save our worlds. You just need to have faith."

For the second time, in a moment of darkness and weakness, Renamon had acted as a beacon of hope that drew the young boy back from the edge of a complete mental breakdown. "Wow. You know you should charge for the advice you give? If I had motivational speeches like that back on Earth I'd be set for life. Is there anything you can't do?"

She takes the time to think before coming up with a clear answer to the question. "No."

The frown on Ryan's face had quickly turned into a smile accompanied by laughter at the fox's _sarcastic_ personal glorification of herself. "You know what? I think I'm starting to rub off on you. Because that was _actually_ pretty funny!"

Both continued to laugh for several seconds, until without warning every hair Renamon's body began to stand on end. A sensation of dread lingered heavily in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife. This was one of the strongest presences of darkness she had ever felt before and, for possibly the first time in her entire existence, she was frightened. "We're not alone."

The temperature dropped sharply to the point they were able to see their breath in the air. They watched as the flame of their fire froze into a solid block of ice. A chill ran up and down Ryan's spine accompanied by the unpleasant sensation of a hundred needles all over his rigid skin. _This feeling…it's the same one I had in my dream. But how can that be? _"I think there's _something _coming."

As they glanced in the same direction, Ryan was grabbed by an invisible force and pulled backwards into the curtain of night. "Ryan! Ryan! Can you hear me?" Renamon yelled, just before hurrying off in pursuit, praying with all her might that she was not too late to save his life.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of action in this chapter but I needed a "calm before the storm chapter". But the next chapter should be quite intriguing. Ryan's self-doubt will play an even bigger role than it has so far and will put their quest for the Orb map in jeopardy. And his training will shine through either this chapter or in later chapters. Hope you liked a small tidbit of what I have in store. Keep reading to find out what happens next. <strong>


	9. My Mind Is Mine

**Sorry for the delay of this chapter, I've just had a very rough couple of weeks and couldn't find the time or patience to sit down and write. But here it is, finally. Chapter 9 of my story. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>A dense and eerie fog coated most of the forest with a menacing grey overtone while Renamon continued her frantic search for Ryan, who had been violently dragged off by an unseen entity.<p>

With virtually no way to defend himself against the countless creatures of the digital world she held out little hope that whatever had taken the hapless boy away would have any incentive to leave him alive. _This is all my fault. I should have gotten him out of there the moment I felt that creature nearby!_

Renamon came to a sudden halt when she spotted what appeared to be Ryan lying unconscious on his side in the middle of a nearby clearing. She immediately became suspicious that _something _may have been using him as bait to lure her in and, despite the danger posed by the lack of a visible or audible enemy, cautiously approached with her guard up.

Kneeling down by his side she checked to make sure there were still signs of life. A tremendous feeling of relief coursed through her upon discovering that he indeed had a pulse and was breathing on his own. _Thank goodness,_ _he's alright. I need to get him someplace safe before whatever that was decides to come back. _"Ryan, can you hear me?"

Ryan's hand sprung back to life and quickly clasped onto Renamon's wrist mere moments before his eyes shot wide open. A deep gasp of air returned the life and color to his once pale visage. "It's still here! It's still here!"

Aside from the obvious fact that he was still extremely panicked from his harrowing experience and, although no longer able to sense the presence of the creature, Renamon decided to play it safe and scan the surrounding area for any signs of immediate danger to either one of them but was unable to find anything pertinent. "There's nothing here, Ryan. You're safe now."

"I know that Renamon…" Ryan slowly rose back to his feet with a sinister smile plastered on his face. "…but unfortunately _you _aren't."

Every hair on her body began to stand on end for the second time. The air in the surrounding area had instantaneously become so thick and musty that breathing it in would certainly bring pain to any human or digimon's lungs. And as she turned to face Ryan he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her high into the air with an inhuman amount of strength. "You're…not…Ryan…" Renamon managed to choke out her words while trying to free herself at the same time but could not break the hold he had her in.

"Very observant of you. I'm curious as to what exactly gave _me _away?" The pitch of his voice had significantly lowered to that of an adult as he mocked her, adding more pressure to his grip while doing so. "It would be so easy for me to destroy you right now, Renamon. But it would be such a pity to waste such talent and beauty."

"You're the monster that's been absorbing data cores from digimon! _Who _or w_hat _are you?" Renamon asked, trying to discover what she could about the identity of what had possessed her friend yet still unable to break loose from his grasp.

"Indeed, _I am _the one who is responsible for corrupting all those digimon. I do detest deastroying my own kind but it was all I could do to survive in my weakened condition. However, the data I've stolen has also been helping to repair my own from the damage it's sustained. But there's an energy that can do more to revitalize me than any other…and that's darkness. And this human here holds more of it in his heart than anyone I've yet to come across."

It became apparent that the digimon whose evil essence had taken control of Ryan's mind cared only about procuring the means to its own existence while disregarding all those it had already hurt to keep itself alive. "What have you done with him?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about your friend. He's _still_ in here, just not in the driver's seat at the moment." A devilish cackle followed the twisted sense of humor displayed. "If only you knew the amount of hate and resent this boy holds in his heart, how much anger he has building up within his very soul. I have access to all of his memories, I feel everything he feels. Do you want to know what his greatest fear is? Unleashing that side of himself due to the damage it could inflict. The pain it could cause. He'd be a child after my own heart…if I had one of course."

Renamon knew that she had to keep him talking if there was any chance she could save herself or Ryan for that matter. "Whatever you're planning to do, you'll fail. I'll stop you. And if I'm unable to…"

"…Yin and Strabimon will be quick to take up that task." Renamon was a bit surprised that he had finished her sentence but was more worried about what that entailed. "Or did you forget that I know everything _he _knows, including the details about your quest for the Orb of Infinity, which you can't accomplish without _this_!" Tearing the medallion off of Ryan's neck he crushes it into a pile of silver dust. "Without that you'll never find it, though it no longer matters. I'll take care of Yin and Strabimon. Then I'll hunt down and destroy every piece of that accursed map so that no one can ever stop me! Join me, Renamon. Your grace, cunning and sheer power would prove most valuable to me. And as a reward for your loyalty, I'll spare the life of your friend here."

"Never. I'll never help you. And as much as I may want to save him, I know he wouldn't want me to do it that way." Renamon replied in what she believed would be her last act of heroism.

"I said it earlier and I'll say it now. Such a waste of beauty and talent. Goodbye, Renamon." A purple aura then appeared around the possessed boy's hand which, finger by finger, was slowly curled up into a fist. Before he could proceed any further with his plans the sound of a soft thud, followed by Renamon being released and landing on her feet, crossed the back of Ryan's skull and knocked him unconscious.

Standing above the downed human were Yin and Strabimon who had shown up just in the nick of time. "That's _really _going to sting when he wakes up."

"Assuming he wakes up at all, Strabimon." Yin replies, knowing that the creature they had been hunting was still inside Ryan's mind and would more than likely put up quite a fight before relinquishing control. "Renamon, are you okay? We got here as soon as we could."

"I'm fine. But there has to be something we can do to get that _thing_ out of Ryan's mind." Renamon replies, watching as Strabimon props Ryan's body up against the base of a tree.

"There is. But I'm afraid it's very risky." Strabimon explains while tying the boys wrists and feet together. "If I were to use my power of light, I believe I could awaken his consciousness _inside_ his subconscious. But that is _all_ I can do. After that it will be up to him to force the creature out. And should he fail…"

Already knowing what the consequences would be for failure they also realized that they had to give him a fighting chance for survival. Considering what he would have to go up against there was reasonable doubt that he would be successful. Despite the overwhelming odds there was a still a slim chance and they had to act on it.

Yin and Renamon nodded to Strabimon who placed a hand on Ryan's chest which then began to generate a bright silvery white light.

* * *

><p>"No!" Ryan screams, shooting straight up in his bed and looking around all around the room in disbelief of where he currently was given all he had seen and felt.<em> A dream…was that really just a dream?<em> A swift smack from his right hand impacts across his right cheek which began to sting and turned a bright red. _Okay. I'm awake, it was just a dream. But damn…it felt so real. _He then glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on his night table and saw that it was time to get up for school which made him cover his head with a pillow in agony, not desiring to get out of bed or relive his last day of school.

_Ten Minutes Later…_

"Mom, I'm leaving for school! Love you!" Ryan yelled while racing out the door to meet his friend Zack on the corner of his street as they had usually done before heading to school.

As he reached the corner Ryan saw that Zack was not awaiting his arrival and looked at his wrist watch to make sure he was not late for their morning rendezvous. _What is going around here? First I walk out of the house into a ghost town and now Zack is MIA. There's no way he's missing the last day of school. That's like missing the first day of school, only without the awesome three months' vacation afterwards._

There was something strange about that particular morning. Every block in the entire neighborhood, which was usually crowded with school busses picking the elementary school children up and adults either seeing their kids off or just going about their normal routines, was entirely void of human life. The rest of the walk only yielded more of the same: no people, no cars and perhaps the most disconcerting…no animals to be seen or heard. "Okay, there's _seriously_ something wrong here."

Ryan opened one of orange steel doors leading to the main lobby of the building which was usually manned by at least two security guards whose posts were now abandoned. Dropping his school bag where he stood, after coming to the realization that something was amiss, he ran up the stairwell and began searching every floor, classroom and office for anyone. "Hello? Is anybody here? Where is everybody? Someone….what's going on?" His voice echoed through the halls but there was still no response to his pleas.

Taking a seat at his desk assigned inside his home room, Ryan tried desperately to figure out what was happening to him and, more importantly, why there was _seemingly_ no one else around besides himself. A quick glance out of the third floor window caused him to double take when he noticed another student standing in the center of the school yard. He quickly shot up from his chair and headed back outside.

"Hey!" Jumping over the railing of the wheelchair ramp and landing on the asphalt below he ran up behind the person. "Man, I am glad to see you _whoever _you are. Do you know what's going on around here? How come there's no one else around besides the two of us?"

"Oh, I'm sure a smart boy like you can figure that one out." As he turned around Ryan's eyes widened in shock and his mouth hung open a drop. Standing there before him was what he believed at that moment to be his identical twin.

Ryan examined his doppelganger from head to toe and was still dumbfounded. "This…this can't be possible."

"Wrong. Would you like to take another guess?" The other Ryan responded with a cocky demeanor.

"Okay…am I dreaming or something?" Ryan asked, unsure of what the correct answer was.

"Very close but allow me to enlighten you. You see, I took control of your body. Hence the reason I still bear your image. Then your friend Strabimon reawakened _you_ here in _your_ subconscious in hopes you would be able to expel me from your mind. And so here we stand."

The realization of who he was speaking with finally became clear. "It's you! You're the one who corrupted Wizardmon, Digitamamon and all those other Digimon! I heard you in my dream on the train! You dragged me off into the woods! But I don't understand, why are you doing all of this? Who are you?"

"It is getting very redundant having to relate this over and over again but I suppose I can humor you as well. I'm a digimon just like your friend Renamon, who I know you care about _very deeply_ might I add." The last part added in made the real Ryan blush but also feel angered that his personal thoughts and feelings were being spied on and used in this twisted creatures head games. "My data was damaged in a battle therefore causing me to lose my physical form. And in order to get it back I've been feeding on data cores and the essence of darkness within them."

"Well, considering the fact that you're a complete nut job, it makes sense. What doesn't is why you possessed me? Don't get me wrong you have good taste but I still just don't get it." Ryan attempted to turn the tables on the psychological warfare by playing the same mind games with his diabolical double.

"I think you do. You're just too afraid to admit it. I just explained that I was feeding on both data cores and darkness. You're not a digimon, so you have no core. So what does that leave you with?" It was obvious as to what the answer was Ryan still had to process the answer and what kind of impact it carried. "Somewhere, hidden in the deepest recesses of your heart, is a darkness that could rival even my own. And seeing as how you have it yet refuse to embrace it, I've decided to take it."

"Fine. So, let's say you do take this darkness from my heart, what happens to me if you do?" Ryan asked, already having some inkling of what would.

Dark Ryan chuckled at the question with a pure sadistic enjoyment because it was what he had been hoping to be asked all along and already knew what his reply would be. "You saw what happened to the digimon once I removed their cores, right? Seeing as how you're _only_ a human, I'm afraid the same process will just…destroy you instead. But greatness does require sacrafice. And I'm afraid our fun, like all good things, has come to an end."


	10. Two And A Half Minds

***Had this chapter planned out but wanted to make up for a months lost time by getting these two out of the way in a day or two. This will conclude our journey into Ryan's mind. But it ends with a mystery to which only I know the answer to. Read till the end to find out. And no skipping.***

* * *

><p>Ryan stood across from the digimon inhabiting his mind and who was also mimicking his image, somewhat disheartened to have learned of the darkness dwelling deep inside his heart and that it was what had drawn the creature to him in the first place. "If you think that for one second I'm going to go down without a fight you're wrong."<p>

"Oh, I was counting on it. After all…" Dark Ryan disappeared mid-sentence and reappeared behind the real Ryan who turned around only to be backhanded across the face and sent to the ground with a sharp pain now radiating through his entire jaw. "…it's so much more fun when there's a fight. Even though I know you won't last that long, I'll have just enough time to _thoroughly_ enjoy..." A swift kick to the gut knocks the air out of the boy who gasps in sheer agony. "…myself before finishing you off. And after I'm done with you, I'll finish what I started with Renamon."

A surge of adrenaline coursed its way through Ryan's veins, making his blood boil with anger. He had been possessed, used to almost destroy Renamon and was now faced with losing his own life at the hands of perhaps the most vile creature he had ever met. The last thread of patience he had left had just become undone. "Yeah, well you're forgetting just one thing."

"Am I? And what might that be?" Dark Ryan asked, laughing at the pitiful sight of the human cowering below him.

Without warning Ryan lunged upward and delivered a devastating uppercut to his doppelganger which sent him sailing into the building, creating a large gaping hole where a row of windows had once been. "That in my head, I make the rules! This is my world and you're not welcome in it! Now get out!"

Dark Ryan reappeared, standing in the middle of the massive breach in the structure. Cracking his neck he looks back down with his signature sinister grin still on his countenance. "Now things are getting interesting."

* * *

><p>Back in the real world only several minutes had passed since Strabimon had used his powers on Ryan. Neither one of the three knew what else they could do except wait and see who would prevail in the end. But Renamon refused to sit idly by and do nothing while her friend faced the greatest challenge of his life. "Strabimon…" The wizard digimon looked at the vixen and could see the distress in her eyes. "…he's just a child. There has to be something we can do to help him."<p>

"You're right. There is. I only neglected to mention it because it would involve the same risk the boy is facing right now and I did not want to endanger anyone else." Strabimon explained, only because he now understood that Renamon was willing to risk her life for Ryan. "I can send you into his subconscious but only for a finite amount of time. After that if your consciousness does not return to your vessel both you and the boy will be, and forgive me for putting it bluntly, nothing but empty shells."

"Renamon, are you sure you want to do this?" Yin asked, concerned for her safety as well as Ryan's. "You might not make it back."

"I failed to keep him safe back in the village; he almost died trying to get the first piece of map while protecting _me_…and now, it's my turn to save him." Renamon replied, never hesitating for one second with her response. She then sat next to the comatose boy and prepared herself for the transference.

"Good luck, Renamon. Both of you come back safely." Yin said, standing back so that he would not be caught in the crossfire of Strabimon's magic.

Renamon closed her eyes as Strabimon raised his paw and once more it became alight with energy which radiated over her entire body.

* * *

><p>Dark Ryan leapt out of the gaping wound in the side of building and back into the school yard only a few feet away from Ryan who stood his ground. "I have to say I'm quite impressed. Perhaps human beings aren't the pathetic insects I always thought they were. But I'm afraid your pathetic attempt was all for naught. And now I'm going to finish this, once and for all!"<p>

An aura of dark purple energy surrounded his entire body, both eyes began to glow with a blood red color and he slowly levitated into the air. Ryan started to back up, beginning to feel unsure if he would _really_ be able to fight this creature. _I can't do this. I thought I could but he's just too strong. I wish Renamon was here right now._

"Diamond Storm!" Both Ryan and his doppelganger look in the same direction while the latter is hit head on by the incoming attack.

"Renamon! Is it really you?" Ryan yells overjoyed to see her due to the dire situation he was in. _I can't believe that actually worked._

With the beautiful grace and swift agility that only she could display, Renamon front flipped through the air and landed right in front of her bewildered companion. "Judging by the look on your face, I'd say you're happy to see me?"

"Uh…yeah. In case you hadn't noticed, my double mint twin over there is trying to kill me! And at a dream world version of my school no less!" Ryan exclaims turning his attention back towards his double, who had quickly recovered from the assault and looked extremely enraged. "Speaking of which, he doesn't look too happy. I think you _might_ have pissed him off a little bit."

"I'm not sure how you got here, Renamon, but at least now I can kill two birds with one stone!"

"Alright, that does it! Just because you look like me doesn't give you the right to keep using clichés and catchphrases like I do!" Dumbfounded by his candor, Renamon quietly observed as Ryan continued to berate his doppleganger for stealing his thunder. "And another thing…"

Renamon tackled him to the ground as a ball of energy went whizzing past, missing them both by mere inches. "And what did you hope to accomplish by that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Don't start with me. I've had a very stressful…however long it's been since I was possessed!" Ryan replied, frustrated by the fact that _everything _and _everyone _in the last few days seemed to be out to get him. "Now it's on like on like Donkey Kong! And seeing as how this is still my noggin we're in, I think I'll kick things off with this little number!" A suit of technologically enhanced battle armor instantly appeared on Ryan's body via a rainbow colored energy. "Now you've got to admit, that was awesome. I could get used to this."

Dark Ryan fired another blast of energy at the duo only for it to be blocked by an energy shield generated by the armor. "I see your imagination creation is just chock full of tricks!"

"Oh, I can out imagine you any day of the week. And now I'm going to kick your butt and send you packing." A black and crimson colored helmet appeared over his head, completing the rest of his armor. "Wait here, Renamon. This shouldn't take _too _long."

A pair of devil wings sprouted from Dark Ryan's back. "Let's take this battle into the air! Oh, I forgot, you have a fear of heights don't you?"

"Do you _really_ have a fear of heights or is he lying?" Renamon asked, raising her brow while all Ryan could do was blush in embarassment.

"No, I do. And I don't understand why because I've never even been on a plane, which is the epitome of height itself, but everytime I'm too high up I start to feel nauseous and..." The realization that he was rambling on had finally started to sink in. "...nevermind. Fear of heights or not, let's do this!"

A jetpack appeared on the back of Ryan's suit of armor. The dual exhausts exploded with bright orange flames which propelled him into the air at near supersonic speed. He began his pursuit of the creature impersonating him, both flying straight into the sky until they could no longer see the landscape below. And, despite the fact that none of their surroundings _actually _existed, the weather conditions began to take a turn for the worse. The clouds around them began to fade from a bright white to a dark grey. Lightning bolts whizzed passed them accompanied by the roar of thunder and icy cold rain.

Ryan took aim and fired a series of laser shots at his nemesis only to have them bounce off him harmlessly."You're a fool, boy! I'm more powerful than you _could_ _ever_ possibly imagine! In the real world or here in your mind, I am unbeatable!"

The creature focused all of his powers into an energy sphere, took aim and fired but missed his intended target. Ryan watched as the attack kept going until it collided with what appeared to be a wall in the sky. _What just happened? That blast shouldn't have impacted like that...unless...of course! _

"Well? What are you waiting for?" The creature attempted to egg Ryan on, knowing that there was no chance he could be defeated, but instead watched as the armor clad human quickly turned around and began flying back towards the ground. "Running so soon? What's the matter? Is the height getting to be too much for you? Or have you realized you cannot defeat me?"

"Neither! Why don't you follow me and find out if you've got the guts!" Ryan yelled before going supersonic leaving behind an enraged duplicate of himself.

Seconds later, he lands on the ground a few yards away from Renamon who had remained in the exact same spot that he had left her. "You were right. That didn't take long."

"We don't have time for jokes. I've got an idea. When I tell you, I need you to aim your diamond storm attack at _me._ And we don't have time to argue about it so just trust me." Out of the darkness above _he _appeared. Using the last few seconds he had left, Ryan created a pulse rifle which took the place of his right arm. "Now!"

Renamon leapt into the air and gathered a massive amount of energy before unleashing her attack. "Diamond Storm!"

The back of the suit of armor opened up and absorbed the diamonds, converting them all into an energy based ammunition. "That little toy of yours is hardly enough to destroy me!" Dark Ryan Proclaimed in an overly brash and cocky manner.

"I know that! But I never said I was using it on you in the first place!" Ryan takes aim at the sky above causing his carbon copy to change his confident demeanor to one of surprise. "Next time you decide to vacation into someone's grapefruit, just remember that this one has no vacancy!"

A single charged shot from the weapon was able to penetrate the protective layer over Ryan's subconscious, creating a space vacuum which began pulling all three of them in. Ryan grabbed ahold of Renamon and fired a grappling hook across the field which pierced the brick and mortar of the wall lining the entire school yard before latching itself down, which kept them from being pulled in.

"You may have won this battle but I will win the war! I'll soon plunge both of your worlds into darkness and there will be _nothing_ either one of you can do to stop me! Nothing!" The two of them watched as he disappeared into the portal. After the protective coating healed itself, the adverse weather then subsided bringing back the original peace and serenity it had almost destroyed completely. And with their enemy out of the picture, Ryan's armor dissipated from his astral form.

"We did it. He's gone." All of Ryan's muscles had relaxed to the point where all he could was collapse to a knee in order to regain some of his lost strength.

"Ryan, would you care to explain to me what you just did and where _ he _went?" Renamon asked, extremely curious about the events that had just transpired.

"After I followed him he attacked me with this big ball of energy, which I have to admit was kind of cool, and it hit some sort of invisible barrier. And that's when I realized it was the shell that seperates my consciousness from my subconscious. So I broke it and regained full control of my mind." Ryan had a hard time believing the detail he had explained everything in yet was still impressed with himself. "Anyways, I...Whoa! Renamon, what's happening to you?"

Renamon raised both paws up in front of her face and saw that she was slowly starting to become translucent. "Strabimon warned me that this would happen if I stayed in here for too long. My consciousness is starting to fade from existence. I need to return to my body before I disappear entirely."

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen. Just hang on." Ryan concentrated hard and managed to conjure up a digital gateway leading back to the waking world. "This will take us both back to where we belong. Go, I'll be right behind you."

Renamon did not wish to leave without him but, being that she was getting fainter with every passing second, leapt into it before losing the rest of her tangibility. And just as he was about to join her a familiar voice caused him to stop dead in his tracks. _Ryan…Ryan…why are you leaving so soon? We haven't even gotten to know each other yet. _

Ryan took several deep breaths and turned around, expecting to see either his double again or something else entirely but was met with the sight of a disappearing landscape instead due to the fact that he was about to regain consciousness. "Must've just beem my imagination playing tricks on me." He backed up, ran and jumped into the gateway which immediately closed behind him just as the last of the dream world faded to black.

_Too bad. I guess this is good-bye for now, Ryan. But we'll be seeing each other again very soon. I'm sure of it. After all...we're inseprerable. _


	11. Life's A Beach

Yin continued to pace back and forth while Strabimon kept a close vigil over Ryan and Renamon, both anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle going on inside Ryan's subconscious. They had done all they could to aid the two of them but were now forced to wait and see who would emerge victorious. "Something's wrong. They _both _should have woken up bu now."

"Look…I think she's coming out of it." A few moments later Renamon's eyes opened, her vision slowly coming back into focus. She looked around and quickly came to the realization that she had successfully returned to her own consciousness.

"Welcome back." Yin offered the semi-dazed vixen his hand and helped her back up. "You had us worried for minute there. But I'll take it you two were successful in getting that _thing_ out of his mind?"

Before Renamon had a chance to respond to Yin's question she noticed that Ryan had not yet woken up. "Wait. He told me he would be right behind me. Why is he still unconscious?"

Ryan, still tied down to the base of the tree, suddenly re-awakened and struggled mightily to break free from his binds in a fit of uncontrolled rage. "Ah! He's…trying to…take control…of me…again!" The vines that had been used to restrain the boy ripped like tissue paper as he continued to fight the cerebral intruder with all of his will power. "I…don't know…how much longer…I can hold him!"

Against her better judgment Renamon calmly walked over and stood directly in front of Ryan, watching helplessly as he fell to his knees while gripping his head and screaming in sheer agony. "Ryan, I need you to concentrate on my voice and listen to what I have to say. You forced him out of your mind and you can force him out you entirely. You're _stronger_ than he is. Now prove it and get rid of him!"

The creature seized control of Ryan's right arm and attempted once more to attack Renamon who didn't even flinch as his fist came to a stop less than an inch from her face. "I…told you…once…and I'll…tell you…again! Get out of my head!"

His entire body started levitating into the air immediately followed by a thick black cloud of smoke which began flowing out of his chest. The expression of anguish on his face did little to convey the amount of pain he was suffering through as the dark essence left his body. _It appears I may have underestimated you! But while you may have won this battle the war is far from over! I'll be back and you four are the first who will feel my wrath! Mark my words!_

Renamon leapt high into the air and caught Ryan who rapidly descended once free from the entities control. "That was a close one. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think I'll be alright. Nice catch by the way. You ever think about going pro?" Ryan remarked, his head still spinning as Renamon placed him back on his feet. "But we've got an even bigger problem. He destroyed the medallion. We'll never be able to find the last three pieces of the map now."

Yin places a hand on Ryan's shoulder in a supportive manner. "Don't worry, kid. The medallion itself was nothing more than a tool created to assist in finding the hidden locations. The true knowledge of their whereabouts exists within you. It always has. And I'm more confident than ever, after your encounter with the beast, that the three of you will complete the mission with ease."

A surprised Strabimon had to double take at the statement made by his partner. "I'm sorry, Yin, but what do you mean the _three _of us? Am I not going with you?"

"Unfortunately, his is where we must part ways my friend. Ryan and Renamon need your help a lot more than I do. Although we need the orb to defeat this monster, I'll still try to find and keep track of _it_ again in order to buy us all some more time." Yin turned to walk away but stopped and looked back one more time. _What a ragtag group. But they're all heroes in their own right and the only chance of defeating the darkness. _"Take care of yourselves and more importantly each other. It's the only way you'll succeed. Till next we meet."

With his last sentiment said Yin disappeared like a thief in the night while Ryan collapsed to his knees, severely weakened from his entire ordeal. "So…now that this duo's a trio, could one of you possibly give me a hand?"

Both Strabimon and Renamon took Ryan by one of his arms and had to hold him up. "His body's been drained of too much energy to carry on right now. He needs to rest before we can continue. Yin and I passed a place on the way to you that we can all stay for the night. It's not that far from here. Follow me."

"Since _he's_ got to lead the way, and I can't even walk, do you think I could get a piggy back ride from one of you?" Ryan asked, much to both digimon's dismay. "Oh, come on! I'm light as a feather. You'll barely notice that I'm there." With a quick roll of her eyes, Renamon kneeled onto the ground and picked him up onto her back. "I'm probably going to fall asleep before we get there. You don't mind, right?"

Renamon immediately raised one of her eyebrows expressing severe disapproval at his request. "Let me say this loud and clear, so you can understand. _Should_ you fall asleep and drool on me, what that thing did to you will pale in comparison to what _I_ will do. Are we clear?"

Although Ryan had learned by this point in time when Renamon was kidding around and when she was serious, he thought it was best not to tempt her. "Crystal."

* * *

><p>"I thought you said this place wasn't that far, Strabimon. How much further do we have to go?" Renamon asked, who did not mind but was somewhat tired of lugging Ryan, who had passed out from exhaustion, around on her back.<p>

"Yin and I were moving very fast. I may have… _underestimated _the distance we were from it. My apologies, Renamon, we should be there very shortly." Aside from their conversation the entire walk had been full of an awkward silence. "You know, I've only known Yin for a short time but he spoke to me of a chosen one who would bring an end to this darkness. At first I didn't believe him but now I'm starting to believe that he may have been right and that your friend here is whom he spoke of."

Renamon turned her neck to look at Ryan who was resting quite comfortably against the soft fur of her back. "He has no partner digimon. How can either one of you be sure it's him?"

"Well, we both just witnessed that child survive something that scores of digimon have fallen victim to. And I'm unsure what you have _personally_ witnessed but ask yourself this question: Why would he have been brought to the digital world if it wasn't for a special reason?" Strabimon raised an excellent point to Renamon. Even she could not bring herself to think that his presence in their world was pure coincidence. "Maybe there is more to him than meets the eye or at least more than we give him credit for."

Unknown to either of them, Ryan had been awake for almost the entire duration of their conversation and heard everything both of them had discussed but continued to feign sleep before pretending to wake up in a drowsy manner. "Hmm...We're still not there? Where on...digital world...are you taking us, Strabimon?"

"Right…here." Pulling aside some foliage revealed a stunning sight. A beautiful beach covered in pearly white sand looking exactly like a picture out of a travel brochure.

"Wow! This place is great!" Ryan exclaims, jumping off of Renamon's back and running right for the water. "Last one there's a rotten Digitamamon! Over easy!"

Neither Strabimon nor Renamon could understand fully how Ryan had regained his strength so quickly with such a short amount of rest_. His tenacity is indeed surprising. A little while ago he was so weak he could barely stand up and now he's running around like nothing ever happened. Is it possible that Yin and Strabimon are right and that Ryan's the one who's supposed to stop this creature? The chosen one?_

Just as Ryan reached the edge of the water a rogue Seadramon rose up from beneath the waves making him quickly turn around and begin running in the opposite direction. "All I wanted was to go for a swim! Was that really too much to ask!

"Does he always get himself into this much trouble?" Strabimon asks, observing as Ryan dodged several Ice Blast and Ice Winder attacks left and right. "And do you think we should go and help him before Seadramon blasts him back to his world?"

"Unfortunately, yes he does. And yes we probably should. Come on!" Renamon and Strabimon prepared for battle and went to stop their friend from becoming a _seafood _special.

* * *

><p>Ryan sat close to the fire Strabimon had started in order to help melt the remaining frost off his body and bring his core temperature back to normal, all with a sour puss plastered on his mug. "You're considerably lucky that Seadramon was only trying to protect its home and that we were able to calm it down. Otherwise, you might not have been so fortunate."<p>

"Renamon, would you please tell the _new guy _that it was not my intention to get a sea monster to attack me and that it wasn't my fault." Renamon turned away, trying to play off his request as if she had not heard him. "Wait a minute. Don't tell me you think it was my fault too. All I did was run towards the water!"

"This world isn't like yours, Ryan. And you've put yourself in unnecessary danger quite a few times already." Renamon hated to be blunt with the boy but felt it was necessary in order to educate him how to better take care of himself in the digital world. "I know that to you this world is a whole new and exciting place but it is very dangerous as well. You've been here long enough to know that one wrong move and it could be your last. Neither of us wants that to happen. But we can't protect you if you continue getting yourself into these situations."

Anger surged through Ryan's veins like a poison along with a heated feeling of embarrassment. "Yeah? Well I didn't ask to come to this stupid world in the first place! If those jerks hadn't chased me into the woods I would be home right now hanging out with my best friend, playing video games, eating junk food and enjoying my summer vacation! But instead I'm here looking for some dumb map and orb so an evil being doesn't destroy both our worlds! And you know what? I don't care if he does or not anymore!" He puts on his now dry jacket and begins walking down the beach. "I'm out of here. I'll find a way home myself. And do me a favor, don't follow me. It was nice knowing both of you."

"You should go and get him back, Renamon. We both know he won't get far despite his fiery outburst." Strabimon explained, stoking the embers to keep the fire alive.

Ryan continued walking until he found himself on the ledge of an overlook onto the digital ocean. Bending down he picked up a decent sized rock and hurled it into the water with an angered grunt. "I know you're here, Renamon. You'd never stop following me just because I told you to." Renamon appeared a few yards behind him but remained silent, sensing that he was still upset. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you guys like that. I'm just frustrated is all. When I complained about being here, you got annoyed with me. And now that I'm trying to help, you're starting to act like my mother. Lecturing me about danger and recklessness. I'll admit I've been reckless here and there but so have you. I guess that's why we get along so well. We're two of a kind."

"I apologize if I embarrassed you. I just don't want to see you get hurt. And it pains me to admit this but you've actually grown on me, Ryan. To be honest I've never had a friend quite like you before. We both just met yet it feels like we've known each other for a long time." Ryan had felt the same way and understood where she was coming from. "When that monster had control of your mind all I could think about was saving you."

A single tear streamed down Ryan's cheek, gleaming in the light of the Earth high above. "It was the sound of your voice and your words that gave me the strength to break his hold on me. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be standing here right now." Ryan spun around and embraced her in an emotional hug. "Thank you so much. Not just for saving my life but for being my friend."

Renamon, who hardly ever showed any form of emotion, returned the gesture and hugged Ryan back. "You're welcome. Now let's get back to the camp site before any more trouble comes our way. What do you say?"

"You've got it..." Ryan released his grip on Renamon, wiped his eyes clean and with a smile gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. "...partner."

* * *

><p>As Renamon and Strabimon slept the restless Ryan, as he had on his first night in the digital world, gazed at the Earth above. However, instead of thinking solely about his family this time around he instead focused intently on both the creatures statements made to him as well as the ones discussed between his digimon cohorts shortly thereafter. <em>I just don't know what to think anymore. <em>_Yin and Strabimon are convinced I'm the one who's going to save us all. But that monster told me that I have darkness in my heart. And after the way I acted earlier...I just wish I knew who to believe! __Well...no matter what happens you're the only one I trust, Renamon. And the only person I truly believe in._ After covering himself with the upper portion of his jacket he peaked over at the sleeping fox one last time just before closing his eyes and beginning to fall into a deep slumber himself. _Good night._


	12. Boat Rides and High Tides

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Been busy with school, work and other things. But at last, here it is! Chapter 12. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The arrival of a new day in the digital world brought with it a renewed sense of energy and determination to the newly formed trio who were preparing to move on to the next destination. But lingering thoughts and feelings continued to plague Ryan who still had trouble coping with the dark aspect of his personality that had been revealed to him by the enemy. "Hey, Renamon, do you think I could talk to you for a minute? Alone?"<p>

"Of course you can. Excuse us for a moment, Strabimon." The two walked a few yards into the woods to make sure they would be out of earshot. "Is something troubling you, Ryan?"

"Yeah, you could say that. It's just…I have to tell you what's _really _been going on inside my head." Ryan started his explanation but began to grow increasingly nervous about how Renamon would react to hearing the details about his initial dream and the conversation that had taken place between himself and his evil twin. "When were on the train I had a dream. I was in a city that looked like it had been destroyed by a battle or something. That's when I heard _his_ voice for the first time. It was that _thing_ that took control of me. And then, just before you showed up to save me, he spoke to me. He said that…I'm carrying a very strong darkness in my heart. I think that's how he found us. I know I should have told you this earlier but I was scared. What does this all mean?"

Renamon raised her arm up to eye level for the boy to see. "I'll assume you know what this symbol emblazoned on the gauntlets I wear means?"

"It's a Yin Yang. One half consists of the light and the other darkness, right?" Ryan asked, unsure if his answer was entirely correct.

"Yes but it also represents a unique balance. They are opposites that depend on one another to survive, with the light and darkness coming together to form a whole. Neither can exist without the other." Ryan was intrigued by Renamon's knowledge of the subject but failed to understand how it pertained to him and eagerly awaited further elaboration. "The same could be said for all of life. Everything has a balance, including your heart. So if you do indeed have this darkness within you remember that there must also be an equally if not stronger light guiding you as well. But it's your choice on which path you follow in life. Never forget that."

Ryan began to chuckle a bit following her motivational speech. "You _really _should charge money for the advice you give. You'd make a fortune back on Earth."

* * *

><p>Upon their return to the beach they found Strabimon scanning the area, trying to find any clues that would lead them in the right direction. "I hope Yin was right about you. That medallion was the easiest way to locate each piece of the map. But I've learned, in the short time I've known him, to trust his judgment. And if he believes you can do this, then so do I."<p>

Although under a tremendous amount of pressure, Ryan knew in his heart that he was more than capable of coming through for all those counting on him in this time of need. Taking a few steps forward, with his eyes closed and holding the first piece of map, he concentrated just as he did with the medallion. As he opened his eyes he was thrust forward at incredible speed coming to a stop at the image of a seemingly desolate island in the middle of the ocean.

"Ryan?" In an instant he was brought rushing back to reality by Renamon's voice. "Are you alright?"

"That was weird. I just had some kind of vision of an island out there somewhere. I think that's where we have to go." Ryan explained, doubtful about how they were going to cross the water. "So, you two have any bright ideas about how we get there?"

"I could use my abilities and attempt to contact one of the sovereigns for assistance but there's no guarantee I would reach them. And if I did it still might take some time for them to provide us with the transportation we need." Strabimon replied, trying his best to remedy the situation.

"No offense but how does that help us right now? That's like me saying I'll make us a boat but it might not float. You know what I mean?" Ryan's sarcasm did not go over well with the wizard digimon who proceeded to argue with him about both his attitude and their ideas about how to continue on their journey.

Renamon could only look on as they continued to make fools out of themselves. She looked to her right and did a quick double take before turning her attention back on Ryan and Strabimon who continued arguing. "If you two are almost done…" They both looked at the vixen who pointed down the beach at a large, bright red sign with the words Gazimon Brothers Ferry Service imprinted on it. "…we could just take a boat like you said."

Both could hardly believe their eyes yet only Strabimon remained confused afterwards. "You knew that was there and waited to tell us while we continued to blather on like two idiots? Why?"

"Because I thought watching the both of you _act_ like idiots was funny." Neither a smirk nor smile crossed her countenance though she claimed to have enjoyed herself. Yet at the same time she displayed her psychological dominance over her two male counterparts.

"Is she always this…arrogant?" Ryan immediately gave Strabimon a kill gesture to stop him from talking any further. "You can't expect me to believe that she can hear what I said to you from all the way over there?"

Ryan's expression instantly changed to one of sarcasm as Renamon stared down Strabimon from afar before turning to continue walking. "Can I give you some free words of advice? If you want to make it out of this experience relatively pain and stress free…don't get on Renamon's bad side. Oh, and don't put a finger on her even as a joke or to save her life…ever."

* * *

><p>The port itself was very small, consisting of only three separate docks extending a mere twenty feet out onto the water. And the only sea worthy craft, a large sized rowboat, sat in the still water tied to the pier by a single piece of rope. "That? You want to go out on the <em>ocean<em>…in _that_? I think I would've rather taken my chances on the Titanic! Besides, I don't see anyone here to rent a boat from."

Several crashing sounds came from inside a small bungalow to the group's right. The door swung open fiercely as three Gazimon tried to squeeze through the opening at the same time. "Spread out!" The eldest of the three pushed his younger and smaller siblings back as he made his way over to his potential customers. "Welcome to the Gazimon Brothers Ferry Service. I'm Gazimon and these are my brothers Gazimon and Gazimon. Did I hear someone say they were interested in renting a boat?"

"Yeah…we need to get to an island…" Before Ryan could continue on with his explanation there was a sudden gasp from all three Gazimon. "…what did I say?"

"Look. We'll take you anywhere you want…but _not_ to the…Forbidden Island."

Ryan, Renamon and Strabimon all looked somewhat bewildered by the Gazimon's reaction to their destination. "Why is it called the Forbidden Island, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Because no one we've ever taken to that island has returned. That's why we stopped taking ferries there in the first place." The three brothers slowly began walking back towards their office. "And we're not about to risk _our_ necks for the likes of you either."

"I hate to say it but we're going to need those three if we want to find the next piece of the map." Strabimon explained, having no knowledge of the sea or the area in general.

_Think, Ryan…think…of course! _"I've got an idea!" Ryan jogs over to the Gazimon brothers and begins a lengthy conversation that neither Strabimon or Renamon could make out what was being said but watched as the expressions of the three brothers changed from one of glaring to excited as the boy concluded his speech.

"You've got yourselves a boat, kid!" Each one of the Gazimon's began ogling Renamon as they filed past towards the docks to prepare for launch.

Ryan quickly made his way back over to Strabimon and Renamon. "Why were they looking at me like that? And what did you say to them in order to change their minds?"

"Well…I kind of had to promise them something." The boys reply brought about feelings of uneasiness to both digimon who knew full well about the dangers of making deals in the Digital World.

"What did you promise them Ryan?" Renamon stared directly at Ryan who hesitated to reveal what it was he promised to the Gazimon brothers.

"Uh…you see I knew that I had to offer them something that would be worth their while and that they'd all enjoy. It was all I could think of and we _really_ needed their help!" The vixen didn't move or speak which only intimidated him further. "Okay. I promised them that…_if _we survived the island that…you'd go out on a date with them?"

_Several Seconds Later…_

Ryan went flying through the air and landed in the water with a large cannonball type splash before surfacing and spitting out the water he had ingested. "She took that better than I thought she would."

* * *

><p>"Stroke, Stroke! Come on, boys! Put your backs into it!" The elder Gazimon brother navigated while the other two rowed the boat.<p>

In the meantime, Ryan and Strabimon sat on the middle seat of the craft while Renamon stood at the edge of the stern, gazing out at the sea behind them. "Do you think she's still mad at me for the whole "date" thing?" A quick scowl from the agitated fox confirmed what he thought. "I think mad may have been an understatement. Pissed is more like it. What should I do?"

"Well the right thing to do would be to apologize. But I do not think you would survive long enough to get those words out, my friend." Strabimon's blunt reply only helped to make Ryan feel worse.

"Here goes nothing." Gathering up all the courage he could muster Ryan carefully approached the silent digimon, arms crossed in a tense fashion and eyes closed as if she was meditating. "Renamon, I'm sorry. I know it was wrong to do that but it _really _was the only thing I could come up with at the time to get them to bring us out here. And we need that piece of map right? What do you say? Do you think you can ever forgive me?"

Turning her head to look at Ryan, who provided her a half smile in return, all of Renamon's anger faded away in an instant. "Of course I forgive you. And, as hard as it is for me to admit, it was a well-played move. You were able to read the three of them with ease and knew they couldn't resist _something _tempting, regardless of the danger we wanted to bring them into."

"_But_ if I ever do that again you're going to do something horrible to me right?" Renamon did not answer his question knowing full well that it was rhetorical and only being used as a way to lighten the mood between them.

"Hey! We've got a storm coming in!" Everyone on the boat looked towards the bow and witnessed a large grey cloud, thunder and lightning already heavily being produced and headed straight for them. "We've got to turn back."

"We can't turn back now. We _must_ get to that island." Strabimon explained with their mission still fresh on his mind.

The Gazimon brothers huddled together to discuss the situation and what to do next. "Ahem. As your captain I must regret to inform you that due to the storm we must turn around and head back for our headquarters on the beach. As soon as the storm passes we can try again to reach the Forbidden Island."

"What part of _must get to that island _didn't you three understand?" Renamon asks, frustrated by their constant antics.

"Look, Foxy, no date is worth being shipwrecked or worse. Now we're heading back. And if you don't like that I'd like to see you try and stop us!"

* * *

><p>The Gazimon brothers, each wearing a dark red life vest, started swimming away from the boat now paddled by Strabimon and Ryan. "You just had to open your big mouth, right bro?"<p>

"Just shut up and…" The same Seadramon that had attacked Ryan the day before reappeared right behind the hapless digimon. "…SWIM!"

Ryan, Renamon and Strabimon watched as Seadramon pursued the brothers who swam faster than ever to avoid being caught by the raging sea monster until they were entirely out of view. "And that's what happens when ye go up against Captain Renamon. Now, onward mateys to Forbidden Island and the next piece of our treasure map, argh! I've always wanted to do that."

As their vessel edged closer and closer to the storm, the water began to get choppier by the second and the waves began to literally reach over five feet in height. The wind proved to be quite an obstacle against the trio as they tried desperately to maintain control of the boat and reach land before they capsized. "This storm is only going to get worse. We may have to make a swim for it!"

"Are you serious? The waves aren't even that big!" At that very moment the swell produced a wave that reached up so high that it nearly created a wall of water in front of them. "On second thought, I changed my mind, abandon ship!"

Renamon grabbed ahold of Ryan and dove over the side with Strabimon close behind as the wave came crashing down, demolishing their boat with one hit and sending splinters of wood in every direction.

The sky began to clear as the group made their way out of the water and onto the shore. "Is everyone alright?"

Renamon nodded as Ryan took deep breaths while lying on his back in the sand, singing an all too familiar song to aficionados of classic television. "Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip…" A strange feeling came over the boy and he quickly stopped singing. "The 2nd piece of the map…it's here."

* * *

><p><strong>Darkfox2009: So, my first chapter in like two months. Glad that hurdle is out of the way.<strong>

**Renamon: Took you long enough. And why does Ryan need to keep making all those cliches? **

**Darkfox2009: I was busy! And he likes making cliches just as much as you like acting tough!**

**Renamon: "Acting tough?"**

**Darkfox2009: Oh, crap. The next update might take even longer everyone. You know, long enough for my fingers to heal first.**


	13. The Evolution of Ryan Riley

Several blasts of dark energy impacted into the ground which Yin was able to dodge with ease before countering with his own attack. "You may have regained a physical form but you're still too weak to match up with my strength."

"True. Though now that I have a body of my own, I _could_ put an end to that pathetic quest you sent the boy, Renamon and Strabimon on." Yin became enraged by the threats made about the well-being of his friends and fired several more attacks that forced the creature back. "Your name suits you well, Yin. Just like the human you have darkness in your heart."

From beneath the cloak, a pair of glowing red eyes became temporarily visible. "But I know how to control my demons and use them for good against _real _monsters like _you_."

"Aw, now you've gone and hurt my feelings." His sarcasm was layered with a hint of mockery.

"Did I forget to mention that I know your secret? Who you _really _are or rather who you _were_?" Despite having almost no facial features, save for a pair of bright yellow eyes, Yin could tell that the entity was in shock due to his sudden silence. "What's the matter? You seem to be at a loss for words? Besides, I said I know who you _were_. Right now you have no real identity. So I think I'll just call you Anonymon."

An angered grunt uttered up from Anonymon's throat. "We'll meet again. Only next time, I'll have more than enough energy to destroy you once and for all."

"And what makes you think I'm just going to let you go?" Yin asked, determined to end the ordeal then and there.

"Did I forget to mention that I sent one of my newest servants to track down and finish off those friends of yours? Which I believe presents you with a difficult choice to make: try to stop me now or save them from certain death."

For a brief moment the thought that it was a bluff crossed his mind but Yin quickly realized that it was a chance he could not afford to take, especially with lives at stake. "If anything happens to them before I get there, the next time we see one another will be the _last _time you take a breath. Mark my words."

He turned away from Anonymon and disappeared into the wilderness. "Oh, I can hardly wait."

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you guys, I just have this feeling the map is somewhere out here." Ryan led the way through the vast jungle coated island, pushing aside branches and leaves while Renamon and Strabimon followed closely behind. "Not that I'm complaining but even you guys have to admit this is really annoying. I can barely see two feet in front of me!"<p>

Strabimon, who had been hit in the face with twig after twig, was also starting to become fed up as well. "For once I agree with our young friend. There must be an easier way of getting to our destination."

"Ryan, would you move back for a moment?" Renamon waited until the boy was safely behind her before taking the lead. "Diamond Storm!

The barrage of diamonds sliced through every piece of foliage that was obstructing their path and fell harmlessly to the ground, clearing the way for them to walk with ease. "Who needs a weed whacker when you have a digimon that fires energized diamond shards?"

They continued onward until coming to a clearing where an entrance to a cave became visible. Sounds of water dripping and wind blowing emitted from deep within, giving off a foreboding aura that brought with it a sense of dread as well. "I think we found what we're looking for. The next piece of map is in _there_. I'm sure of it."

"Then let us not waste any more time." The two digimon walked ahead of the boy, intending to take the brunt of any oncoming danger, but came to a sudden halt when it appeared they had walked straight into a brick wall.

"Are you two alright? What happened?" Ryan asked, curious about what he had just witnessed.

Strabimon put his paw forward and felt something solid, despite there being nothing visible to the naked eye. "I believe it's some kind of energy barrier. A safety measure to keep the Map of Infinity protected from falling into the wrong hands. No digital being can pass beyond this point."

"Please tell me you're not about to say I have to go in there alone?" The look on the wizard's face confirmed what he feared. "Oh, man."

"We'll both understand if you don't want to do this." Renamon tried to comfort him despite the fact that the fate of the world rested on his shoulders which she knew was a heavy burden for anyone to carry, _especially_ a twelve year old human.

"No. I have to do this." He took a deep breath, the conviction in his voice resonating with pride. "Because if I don't not only will we fail our mission but I'll always remember that I was all talk and no action…just like back home."

Ryan took several steps forward and was able to pass through the barrier with ease. Before continuing on he turned to look at his companions once more, gave them a half smile along with a nod and disappeared from view, beginning his descent into the unknown.

* * *

><p><em>What the hell was I thinking? Aladdin almost died in the cave of wonders and that was a Disney movie! I'm in a real cave in the digital world! It's not too late to turn back. No! I got to keep going.<em>

An orange light at the end of the tunnel led into a small antechamber where a set of steel doors with two statues of ancient digimon, one that resembled a Taurus while the other took after a serpent. And the archway above the doors, just as with the previous map location, had the same symbol carved into it as the one on Strabimon's now destroyed medallion. "Great. I can't unlock these doors without that stupid medallion and it's gone. Now what do I do?"

Without any warning a strange sensation overcame Ryan's entire body. His eyes began to glow a bright white, both pupils disappearing into a neutral abyss. As if in a trance he raised his right hand with the palm facing forward and the carving instantly became energized, releasing the lock and opening the path ahead. _What the hell just happened? Never mind. Let me just get this thing and get out of here._

Upon entering the larger of the two chambers, he noticed a red carpet beneath him which led all the way to a staircase. At the top, suspended in an energy field, was the map. _Yes! Two down two to go!_

Just outside the steel doors both statues began to crack like egg shells as Ryan stood at the bottom of the stairs, ready to ascend and retrieve the prize. "Hmm…I didn't think it would be this easy." An explosion of rock and steel from where he entered caught the boy by surprise. "And apparently, I was right."

Out of the dust appeared the now brought to life ancient digimon, awakened from their centuries old slumber and prepared to fight.

_Okay, let's look on the bright side; they're both about my height. I think I can take them. _From the sheaths on their backs, each produced a single weapon. _That could be a problem._

Both creatures began advancing forcing Ryan to quickly search for something he could use to defend himself against them. On the wall just to his left was an assortment of weapons, most of which were too big for him to even lift except for a single Bō staff. "Guess this'll have to do. Time to see if Renamon's training pays off." The Taurus digimon began digging its hooves into the ground, preparing to charge. "I'm no bullfighter but bring it on!"

A loud war cry and it came running forward at incredible speed giving the armed pre-teen just enough time to use the staff to pole vault over the digimon's head, its momentum sending it straight through the center of the concrete stairs. _Oh! I don't care how powerful you are, that has got to hurt! _

With his attention distracted, Ryan failed to notice the snake digimon which slithered up behind him and coiled around his entire body. It then began squeezing the life out of him slowly and painfully. _Too tight! I…can't…breathe!_

A diabolical hiss from the creature brought about the realization that he was about to become a meal. And though both of his hands were trapped within its scaly bind, Ryan managed to drop the staff into the grasp his dangling feet which he used to propel it straight into the reptiles open mouth, forcing it to release him. _That does it! I've been punched, kicked, tackled, trampled, thrown around, blasted, possessed and now nearly eaten?_ "You picked the _wrong _day to mess with me! And you're about to find out why!"

Just as the snake removed the obstruction from its mouth, Ryan ran forward and delivered a devastating flying kick right to its face, stunning the digital monster temporarily as the bull reappeared from beneath the half destroyed staircase. "Glad you could join us. Come and get me!" Another mindless charging attack provided one final opportunity for him to take them both down. Retrieving the staff he baseball slides between the bovines legs causing it to trip right into the serpent knocking them both into the wall and out for the count. "Humans 1, Digimon 0."

Having _finally _been defeated in combat both ancient guardians returned to their statue forms and disintegrated, blowing away like dust in the wind.

Ryan climbed up onto the stone slabs loosened by the destruction caused during the battle and reached the top of the steps. Thoughts of what occurred the last time he helped to procure a piece of the map caused him to hesitate for a moment until he regained the courage needed to reach in and achieve his goal.

Pulling the other piece out of his inner jacket pocket, he aligned the two torn halves together to see if there were any indications of where the Orb of Infinity was located and found himself taken aback when both pieces united via a golden colored energy. "Cool…time to get out of here and back to the others." A slight rumbling sensation, which got more powerful by the second, shook the entire chamber. "Holy…!"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back on the surface, Renamon and Strabimon also sensed the vibrations. From their perspective it felt as if the island was the epicenter of a massive earthquake. "Something's happening. This whole land mass is becoming unstable. We must leave immediately.<p>

Renamon's real concern was for the safety of the child she allowed to venture into the abyss alone.

"Run!" Ryan came running out of the cave and past the two digimon, stopping when he realized they were not following in his stead. "What are you guys doing? Come on! We've got to get out of here! Like now!"

"Is there something after you?" Strabimon inquired, turning back towards the cave entrance.

The strange tremors that had ceased once Ryan reappeared began again and were even more violent. A jet stream flew out of the cave which forced Renamon and Strabimon to jump to safety. "The whole island is starting to sink into the ocean."

"Weren't you listening? That's the least of our worries! What caused_ that_ is the real problem!"

"And what would that be?" Her question was answered emphatically when a coreless Digmon broke throught the ground, enraged and intent on destroying anything in its path. "For once you were right. Let's move!"

The trio turned in the opposite direction they had come from and escaped into the wilderness. "Is he following us?"

Sounds of trees being uprooted, cut in half and demolished could be heard off in the distance as Digmon savagely pursued them. "Does that answer your question? And did you get the map?"

"I can't believe you're being sarcastic! I must be starting to rub off on you! Yeah, I got it! Now all we've got to do is survive and we're half way to victory." Ryan jumped over a log and swung on a vine over a deep mud pit and hit the ground running. "Speaking of which, do you guys have any ideas on how to take care of that mindless digital power drill?"

Strabimon continued to make his way from branch to branch but flipped down onto the ground and re-joined his allies. "Unfortunately, he is too far above the rookie level for us to defeat, even with our combined strength. And we wouldn't be able to make a scratch in that armor. Not to mention there's something not right about this Digmon. His core has most certainly been corrupted but it's almost as if he's solely focused on us."

"Yeah and I think I know why." Leaving the vast maze of trees they found themselves trapped on yet another beach with no place else to run or hide. "Hate to say it but this is a _dead _end."

"Don't cash in your chips just yet, kid. The cavalry's here." Yin mysteriously appeared, as he usually did, behind the group who were all equally glad to see him. "I hear you have a _big_ problem on your hands."

"You forgot to mention _ugly_." Ryan quipped, mocking the insect digimon's outer appearance.

Digmon mercilessly drilled through everything and anything in his path until there was nothing left but a decimated land mass that continued to flood its way towards a deep dark end. "Gold Rush!" After calling out his attack, both of his drills were launched forward with the speed of missiles.

Yin reached beneath his cloak, retracting a sword with a black hilt in the shape of a crescent moon and a blade comprised of what appeared to be digital code. "Data Saber! Full Power!" The weapon itself began to glow as it reached full charge. He took a step back and lunged forward, slashing his saber towards Digmon. "Eclipse Shockwave!" The energy released disintegrated both drill bits and cut right through Digmon's armor. His physical form broke away piece by piece until little bits of data remained which Yin proceeded to absorb.

"No way! You're a digimon, too?" Ryan was indeed more surprised than either Renamon or Strabimon seemed to be.

"Well, I had my suspicions about that when I first met him. And it appears I was correct." Renamon was the only one to have remained silent the entire time.

Yin breathed a deep sigh and turned to address the outing of his deepest darkest secret. "I think it's time I revealed my face to you. You've all earned that much." Reaching up to either side of the hood with his gloved hands he slid it back and down in one fluid motion. The look on the faces of Ryan, Renamon and Strabimon expressed the genuine shock all of them were experiencing at the sight of Yin's face. "You…have _really _got…to be kidding me! You're…"

* * *

><p><strong>DarkFox2009: So, things are really starting to get interesting. Half of the map is in their possession, Ryan is finally starting to kick some ass after having his own handed to him multiple times and Yin is about to reveal his identity. Of course, I know who he is. But can you guess the answer to one of the biggest mysteries in my story before I reveal it? <strong>


	14. Home Stretch

As Yin lowered his hood, the image of a black furred fox-type digimon came into view of his friends who continued to stare on in utter shock and disbelief. "You're a…Renamon?" Renamon herself was taken aback as she moved in closer to examine the creature standing before them. Despite the difference in fur and eye color, Yin's having a red hue that made him look more diabolical than friendly, both bore an identical resemblance to each other. "It's like looking in a mirror. Creepy."

"I owe you all an apology. It wasn't my intention to mislead you as to my identity but I felt that the less you knew about me the better." His explanation raised more questions than providing answers. And now they were left to wonder whether or not he was withholding any other pertinent information that could aid them in the future.

Strabimon felt a cold liquid rushing past his ankles and looked down to discover that the water level was rising as the island prepared for its final plunge to the ocean floor. "I'm afraid we must continue this conversation elsewhere. Yin, how did you find your way out here?"

The surface of the water just off shore was breached by a mammoth Whamon who had arrived just in time to provide an escape for the group who watched from atop the mammal's head as the entire land mass disappeared beneath the waves.

"Unless it's in Hawaii, that's the last island I visit for a _long _time. But the bright side is I got us another piece of the map." Ryan pulled his paper trophy out to show his digital comrades who all looked as if they had been through hell by the looks on their faces. "Please, don't thank me all at once. I _only_ had to fight off two statues that came to life and tried to coat their teeth with my face. No big deal."

"You fought off two digimon on your own?" Ryan wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded to her inquiry. "I hope that means you won't complain _as much_ when our next training session takes place."

Yin reached into the inner pocket of his cloak and produced forth a piece of food, handing it off to the boy who sat with his head between his knees. "Here…even with the laws of this world keeping you from feeling any hunger, it wouldn't hurt for you to eat something. And I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say you did a good job. Because of you we still have a chance to save our worlds from Anonymon's wrath."

"I've never heard of a digital monster with that name before." Strabimon stated, curious as to the identity of the digimon in question.

Ryan looked into Yin's eyes, knowing whom he was referring to. "One question: why did you name him Anonymon? Or maybe I don't even want to know."

"I'm afraid you have to know. But my news isn't good." They all gathered around to discuss what none of them wanted to. "I tracked our mutual friend to yet another small village in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, I arrived too late to save its inhabitants and…" The pause between sentences brought about a range of mixed emotions. "…stop Anonymon from gaining enough strength to take on a physical form."

Ryan stood up quicker than Whamon could swim at the startling revelation. "Wait a minute… are you telling me he's _walking_ around now?"

"Yes, but he's still very weak. That's why he sent Digmon after you, to stop me from destroying him. But I'm afraid he may now move onto more populated areas in search of further victims. Which means our time is almost up and we're only half way to where we have to be."

The final battle was drawing closer with every passing moment. And with Anonymon slowly gaining strength, every one of them knew they would have to double their efforts in order to silence the darkness and send it into oblivion for all of time. "If we're only half finished and our enemy has this much strength _now_, by the time we have the entire map and find the Orb of Infinity it might not be enough to stop him anymore, right?"

Yin grimly nodded in agreement to the boy's question. "Yes. That is why we'll have to split up again. Renamon and I can travel the fastest, so we'll go to the furthest location while you and Strabimon track down the other."

"Wait. Why does Renamon have to go with you? Can't she and I go together?" Ryan asked, not wanting to separate from her.

"Not this time, my friend. I need Renamon to accompany me on this _particular_ mission."

Underneath the façade of strength, the vixen was deeply touched by the emotional attachment Ryan was displaying towards her. And she felt the same way. Though only having known one another for a period of days they had forged a friendship that neither could fully express in mere words despite the few occasions they both faltered to keep their true feelings hidden. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I promise."

"Whamon will take you to shore. It's not far from where we are now. Renamon and I will get going from here." Yin pulled a metal sphere out of his pocket and tossed it into the air where it transformed into a black and red colored hover board. "Once you've completed your task meet us back where this all began. And be careful. I have no doubt that Anonymon will try to stop us again. Oh, and try not to kill each other."

The two climbed onto the device and were off in the blink of an eye. "Well, it will be…_interesting_ partnering up with you, to say the least."

"In other words you're pissed off that you have to babysit me. I get it, believe me. Let's just try to make the best of the situation. " Ryan added, sitting back down and looking across the open sea.

Strabimon's conscience began to get the better of him. Whereas the human was Renamon's sidekick and friend, to the wizard of light he had only been an acquaintance. "Ryan…" The boy turned to face the rookie. "You and I, as I believe your people say, got off on the wrong foot. But it is not your fault. I rarely allow myself to trust and rely on others. Sometimes it's just easier that way. However, after I met Yin I realized for the first time what it meant to have a friend. Then I met Renamon and you. At first I was hesitant to believe that you possessed the sheer ability to follow through with something like this given your level of maturity. Yet you're the one who got us this far and I apologize for doubting you. You may just be the chosen one he spoke of."

A half smile formed on the child's countenance following Strabimon's praise of him. "Thanks. Wait..." Ryan quickly shot up from where he was sitting. "I've been meaning to ask you about that. I heard you talking about me being the _chosen one_ after I got possessed. What exactly did Yin tell you?"

"That his purpose for being here was to set the chosen one on his path to saving the worlds from the darkness. As I said, I began to believe it after your encounter with Anonymon but I'm more than positive now that you are indeed the one."

"Great. I went from being Ryan Riley to Neo." Strabimon also failed to realize the cultural references that Ryan continued to bring up but lacked the desire to explain. "I don't understand, why me? And why couldn't anyone explain this earlier? If I'd known maybe I wouldn't have been such a downer the whole time."

"I believe Yin did not want to burden you with that knowledge right away. It is an awfully big responsibility that has been placed on your shoulders. But it appears I've let the mouse out of the trap."

Ryan double taked and began to laugh out loud quite hysterically. "That's let the _cat_ out of the _bag_. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

* * *

><p>Halfway across the digital world, Renamon and Yin have dismounted the hover board onto an island composed entirely of volcanic rock. "Here we are. According to the vision I had earlier what we're after is inside the volcano itself, probably in a hidden chamber like the previous two locations. Let's move."<p>

"Wait." Yin stopped but did not turn around to face her. "There's something I need to know before we continue. Who are you _really_?"

Both of his eyes closed tightly, as if ashamed to even speak of his past. "All you need to know is that I hurt the ones I cared about the most. It was the biggest mistake of my life. And I do what I'm doing now to make up for it before I can return to them and beg for forgiveness. I guess you could say I'm _rarely _Yin."

"I'm sure, whoever your friends are, that if they truly care about you they will forgive you. Everyone deserves a second chance after all."

Turning towards his female counterpart, the expression on the male fox's face stayed the same despite Renamon's best efforts to cheer him up. "I hope you're right. But it has to wait. We still have a job to do."

Ascending to the top of the smoking rupture, they could feel the heat that was radiating from inside it. Down below a pool of magma bubbled and churned similar to soup cooking in a pot which indicated that it was reaching a point where it was going to erupt at any moment. "I think we may have a problem."

"You're right. We have to finish up here before this thing blows sky high and takes us both with it." At that moment an intriguing yet disturbing thought crossed the digimon's mind. "Wait a minute. I think I might know where the entrance to the chamber is. But you're not going to like it."

"Where is it?" Renamon asked, watching as he turned his head downwards towards the magma. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"Well…" He began his sentence by stepping to the edge of the circular opening. "If I don't survive, we'll both know I was wrong. See you on the other side."

Renamon turned away as Yin took a leap of faith, pencil diving straight down towards certain doom. _I can't believe he just did that. I should've stopped him. What if...?_

For nearly a minute there was no sign of life and she started to think the worst. "Hey! I made it! Come on down!" The two of them were reunited a moment later when the vulpine made her landing in the cavern. "It's just as I thought. That lava pool was just a trick. The real one is deeper down and those vents allow the heat to rise up, helping further the illusion…not very original but clever. There's an entrance over there. Follow me."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the lift, Whamon. And watch out for Seadramon!" Ryan yelled out to sea as their ride slowly submerged beneath the deep blue sea and was gone. "Man, am I glad to be back on dry land connected to more dry land."<p>

Strabimon looked at the trail ahead and found it somewhat familiar. "I have even _more_ good news for you, my friend. I know precisely where we are. Those mountains ahead of us are where my master's fortress lies and where he resides as we speak."

"Who's your master?" His question came under the assumption that both Yin and Strabimon worked for the four sovereigns.

"Fanglongmon; He is the supreme sovereign who commands the other four sovereign that guard the digital world." The explanation clarified some missing pieces of the puzzle that the boy was still piecing together in his head about the entire digital dimension. "His palace is not too far off. We should be able to reach it by dark."

Ryan's will power was beginning to wane once again. Every twist and turn seemed to lead either to a dead end or infinite endlessness. And while he was slowly learning to appreciate and enjoy the journey itself his deepest desire was returning to a normal life, left behind for what felt like an eternity. _I don't think I can take much more of this. But I won't have a home to go back to if I stop now. Anonymon has to pay for all the suffering he's caused. And I have a score to settle with him as well. _"Looks like I get a chance to meet the _Big Boss_. Lead the way, Strabimon. I'm right behind you."


	15. Burn Notice

The torches that lined the tunnel walls, along with the endless amounts of molten lava churning deep below, caused the temperature of the passageway to rise to a nearly unbearable level. "It's like an oven in here. Even with the mind over matter laws of the digital world, I don't think Ryan could have withstood this heat. Did he try breathing underwater yet? That one always astounds me."

"Speaking of Ryan, why did you insist that _I_ accompany you and not Strabimon?" Renamon asked, hoping to get some truthfulness for a change.

"You want to know why I split the two of you up, is that it?" Yin awaited a response but was met only with silence. "The two of you have come to rely on each other far too often. If the boy is ever going to fulfill his destiny he must learn self-reliance. Take the island for example. He took on two digimon by himself, defeated them and got a piece of the map, thanks in part to your training of course. Still, how many humans do you know that would be capable of that feat?"

Renamon hated to admit it but Yin did have a point. The two of them had only gone through one training session yet he managed to use those skills along with his own to defeat two ancient digimon. "I asked Strabimon this next question and now I'll try my luck with you: what is so special about Ryan specifically that makes him this chosen one? And what is it he's supposed to do exactly?"

"I'm afraid I don't know much more than you do. But what I do know I can't reveal to you yet as it may jeopardize everything he's meant to accomplish."

The ambiguity in Yin's statement both agonized and annoyed the vixen whose patience was beginning to wear thin. Renamon then phase shifted in front of her male counterpart, grabbed him by the collar of his cloak and held him against the wall of the tunnel with a look of anger upon her countenance. "Listen to me…if anything happens to that child because of you, I'll tear you to shreds and absorb your data before you even realize what happened. Do you understand?"

"I understand. _Nothing_ will happen to him. You have my word." With his assurance that no harm would befall Ryan she released Yin from her grip and took a step back. "And I promise you'll understand why he's so important…in time. For now we need to focus on the third portion of the map. Let's keep moving."

* * *

><p>Ryan followed Strabimon as he led them down the trail leading to Fanglongmon's fortress but gradually began falling behind. The effects of his possession, compounded by his battle with the ancient digimon in the underground chambers, were taking their toll on his body. Every ounce of energy felt as if it was slowly being siphoned away as he began to feel light headed, staggering forward before collapsing to a knee.<p>

Strabimon was several yards away when he turned to check on the boy only to discover his distress, backtracking very quickly to help him. "Ryan? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"I don't know…I just feel…really weak… all of the sudden. I think I'm fine now." Waiving off the assistance, he tried to stand under his own power but failed and stumbled backwards, falling flat on his butt in the process. "Then again, maybe I'm not. I feel like a humongous sack of crap right now. What the hell is wrong with me?

Strabimon reached down and helped Ryan back to his feet, putting one of the boy's arms around him for support. "You're probably suffering after effects from your recent adventures. You need rest. I'll help you the rest of the way. It's just over that ridge."

By the time they reached the top of said ridge, night had blanketed the digital world in the blink of an eye. Just ahead of them was the mountain side with a monastery style staircase leading all the way up to the supreme sovereign's home. "There's no way, help or not, I'm making it up those stairs tonight. I got to rest…right now."

Ryan dropped down against one of the stone banisters, closing his eyes, tilting his head back and began taking deep breaths in an attempt to relieve the stress he was under. "For what it's worth, I know how you feel. Before I conditioned myself to deal with such extreme conditions I felt the way you're feeling right now, if not worse at times. A good night's rest and you should be good as new." Snoring was the only sound Strabimon heard following his words of wisdom. "Asleep. Why am I not surprised?"

* * *

><p>"Finally…I thought we'd never get out of there." Yin's attention immediately turned upwards to an opening that led back to the outside. "Well, at least we have our escape route."<p>

"Now I understand why you wanted me to come with you." Rows and rows of stone pillars, with volcanic lava shooting up from the magma pit down below, stood before them. In the center was the piece of map, hovering within the safety of another energy barrier. "You do realize that we could be seriously injured or burnt to ashes if that even grazes us, right?"

Yin removed his cloak and placed it onto the ground. "Of course I do. That's what makes it fun."

Without hesitation he leapt onto one of the pillars and was stopped from proceeding further by four separate lava geysers creating a wall in front of him. _I get the feeling this volcano doesn't want us to succeed. _

Renamon seized the opportunity and jumped onto a separate pillar that was a bit further away and was immediately encircled by a fountain of molten liquid while the one's blocking Yin's path ceased. "Did you see that? It can only target one of us at a time."

"Then would you please hurry and move on to the next before I become the first of our kind that's furless?"

For the next five minutes the two continued making their way across, dodging several eruptions on top of the ones that occurred upon landing. "Almost there. We'll go at the same time. You ready?" Renamon nodded and readied herself to move in perfect synchronization with Yin at his behest. "On the count of three…one…two…three"

As they leapt forward towards the center platform multiple lava geysers began rushing towards them, coming from the outermost pillars and working its way inwards. Yin grabbed ahold of Renamon just as they were about to be engulfed by the magma.

The two were instantly encased in a sphere of data that guarded them from the immediate danger posed by the viscous matter before landing safely on the circular platform seconds later.

"What did you just do?" Renamon asked, entirely dumbfounded by how they were still in one piece.

"That was an ability I learned a long time ago I call the Aura Shield. I can harness the energy field around my body and use it as a powerful defense against enemy attacks." Their attention shifted to the third piece of map they were there to collect. Yin held his data saber at the ready and in one swift motion sliced through the energy barrier and retrieved it. "Three down one to go and then Anonymon is history."

"History you say?" Anonymon stood at the edge of the vent looking down upon the digimon who, in their small moment of triumph, were greeted with the worst possible sight they could have imagined. "Well, then here is your present!"

Anonymon held his hand into the air, gathering an enormous amount of dark energy which he unleashed not on either one of the two but into the main lava flow deep within the recesses of the volcano. At first nothing seemed to happen due to the attack until a massive earthquake began, causing multiple pieces of rock in various sizes to come crashing down. "He destabilized this whole place! It's going to collapse!"

Renamon grabbed onto Yin's shoulder and pointed straight down. "We've got bigger problems."

Rising up from the depths, at an incredible speed, the lava was about to fill the entire chamber. He activated the hover-board and together they mounted it. "Hang on!"

With his original choice of exit now too dangerous to attempt leaving through, thanks to the falling debris, the pair re-entered the passage they had come in from only this time with a wave of lava nipping at their heels. "At this rate we'll never outrun it! Can't this thing go any faster?"

"Careful what you wish for!" The board began changing into an advanced mode with two silver exhaust ports appearing out of the bottom as well as increasing in length. Both exhausts came to life propelling it forward. "I can see light! We're almost there!"

Yin pushed the hover-board to its maximum speed, out of the tunnel, up the volcanic vent and out into the night sky just as a massive eruption occurred, coating the entire landscape with hellfire and creating a light that illuminated every inch of terrain and sea for miles. It was a spectacular sight but also a foreboding one. _Hard to believe that one energy blast caused all of this but it confirms what I suspected. Anonymon's at full strength. _"Our time is up. Anonymon's going to initiate his plan very shortly. That was just a demonstration of his power."

Looking back once more at the distant glow on the horizon, Renamon could not help but wonder what this master plan was and had no desire to know for the moment. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Pray that our friends have found the final clue to the Orb's location. Otherwise…" Yin paused and looked over his shoulder. "The entire digital world is going to closely resemble that island."

* * *

><p>Ryan stretched his arms out and yawned, the nagging injuries and energy loss that were nagging him had all but vanished overnight. He stood back and took in the sight of the staircase, admiring its grandeur while continuing to loosen his joints. "Damn. It looks even bigger in the day time. Wish I had a slinky with me."<p>

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this…_slinky_. I assume it must be a powerful weapon in your world"

Not wanting to embarrass his digital acquaintance, Ryan turned away and scrunched his entire face together in pure comedic bliss. "Yeah…it's something…like that." After regaining his composure he was able to turn back around, barely holding back the laughter that ached to break through. "Anyway…I guess we should get started with our walk up the stairway to heaven. Or is there an express elevator you're not telling me about?"

"No, I'm afraid the only way to get up to the castle from the outside is by taking the stairs." Ryan hung his head down towards his chest, visibly upset by how far up they would have to walk. "Fortunately, the building itself is just a decoy. My master's chamber lies deeper within the mountain, accessible from inside the castle or via the secret entrance."

"You mean like the ones they find on Scooby Doo? Cool! Where's the thing that activates it? Is it the statues paw or maybe the one of the stairs pushes down?" During his investigation of said items he accidentally fell forward through a hologram. "Oh! Strabimon! Why didn't you warn me before I did something that stupid?"

Strabimon entered and shrugged his shoulders. "You did not give me a chance. Perhaps next time you will be a little more patient."

"Perhaps next time I'll stick my foot up your…" A thunderous roar stopped him in mid-sentence as he quickly hid behind the wizard digimon for protection. "That was Fanglongmon, your master, right?"

"It sounds as if he has also just awakened from slumber. I hope that he is in the mood to see us."

"That was him yawning?" Ryan could not believe the most frightening sound he had ever heard in his life was a digital monster waking up. "And I thought my father was bad. Jeez."

The halls of the cavernous hall, similar to Fanglongmon's chamber, were lined with numerous stone carved tablets that portrayed past events of the digital world reaching back through time and across countless millennia. One in particular caught Ryan's attention.

It depicted a conflict that left many digimon either defeated or destroyed and the land in utter ruin. One brave warrior went on to do battle with the embodiment of darkness by calling on the power of light before banishing the evil into another dimension, similar to what was occurring in the present. _This is starting to get creepy. It's like history's repeating itself. But there's no way I can do what that digimon did. I can't defeat Anonymon alone. I just can't. They have the wrong guy and that's what I'm going to tell this Fanglongmon…politely of course. _

"We're here. My master is just behind these doors. Are you ready?" Strabimon asked, noticing how nervous Ryan had become by the sweat on his forehead and his inability to stop fidgeting.

"As long as he doesn't bite my head off, I think I can manage." Bravery was a trait Ryan had only begun coming to terms with, tallying up a few small victories along the way, and now he had no other choice but to gather up all the courage he could muster just to meet the supreme sovereign, more frightened of disapproval than anything else. "Let's do this before I change my mind."

Both doors slowly began to open in a synchronized motion, adding additional fear to the pit that had formed in the anxious human's stomach as they extended to their limit. "Welcome back, Strabimon. And this must be the chosen one, come to save our world from its impending doom. We meet at last."


	16. Darkness Falls

The supreme sovereign's glowing red eyes, razor sharp teeth and sheer size were more than enough to frighten anyone who laid eyes upon him. Yet he spoke with a gentle tone that was unbecoming of his outward appearance. "You need not be afraid, Ryan Riley. No harm will befall you in my dominion."

"How did you know my name?" Curious as to how a behemoth digimon he had never met knew who he was.

Fanglongmon moved a bit closer to the intimidated boy. "Yin has informed me about your exploits in the digital world since your arrival. I must admit, I had my doubts at first but you have certainly proven yourself to be the chosen one who will vanquish this entity of darkness from the face of our dimension."

"No offense, but I've heard that all before. What I've been dying to know, almost literally by the way, is why me?" The less confident portion of his personality, that he had seemingly conquered, reared its ugly head once more due to a mixture of anxiety and fear of the answers he would soon receive. "Out of the billions of human beings in existence on my world, what makes me so special?"

"The embodiment of darkness can only be vanquished by the embodiment of light. You are that light. It exists within you, it always has. Only the purest of heart and soul could have triumphed over the challenges set forth by my fellow sovereigns." Ryan began to recall all of his adventures over the last several days as Fanglongmon continued his speech. "You displayed true courage when you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save Renamon's life, it was your will power that expelled the evil from your mind and the intellect you possess has aided you on several occasions. Skills such as these cannot be learned. They are either with you upon creation or not."

Ryan finally had most the answers he had sought save for one. "What _exactly _is Anonymon planning to do with all this power he's gathered?"

"This battle has gone on for longer than you or I have existed. The light and the dark have fought one another since the beginning of time, with neither one being stronger than the other. However, the latter is slowly gaining strength and will soon become _too_ powerful to keep under control any longer. Anonymon is attempting to plunge this entire world into darkness, decimating the light for all eternity. And if one world should fall…the other will be sure to follow."

_If what he's telling me is true then…if we fail…Mom, Hailey, Zack, Renamon and everyone else I care about will be destroyed. I'll never see my home again either. _"I will not be responsible for dooming every creature in either world to destruction. Let's find that final piece of map and send Anonymon packing. What do you say?"

Strabimon smiled and held out his paw which Ryan gladly shook. "I wholeheartedly agree. Do you know where out next destination is?" Both of the boy's pupils disappeared as he began to channel the leftover energy from the destroyed medallion. "Do you know where it is?"

"I'm not seeing anything like I did the last two times. But I'm getting a strange feeling. That what we're looking for is…" Upon returning to normal, Ryan spun around and stared directly into Fanglongmon's crimson eyes. "…right here. The last piece is here, isn't it?"

Fanglongmon grins with satisfaction at their discovery. "Indeed it is. Let your instincts guide you in finding its exact location."

"Excuse me? My instincts? You can't just tell me? I'm not a Jedi you know." Fanglongmon like Strabimon had no idea what Ryan was talking about. Only the latter knew well enough to not bother asking. _You'd think I'd realize by now that no digimon has ever seen Star Wars or any movie for that matter._ "Fine, I'll give it a try. It should only take me about a year or two."

* * *

><p>Approaching shore via the hover-board, now smoking from heat damage caused by the volcano, Yin and Renamon see Fanglongmon's fortress from a distance. "There it is! I just hope this thing makes it back in one piece!"<p>

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Renamon asked, feeling there was something amiss about his sudden sense of urgency.

"Because Ryan's final test is about to begin and we need to be there before it starts!" The smoke turned from a misty grey to a dark black just as they reached land. "I believe it's time to jump!

No sooner had they leapt for safety then the board had exploded into hundreds of pieces with some shrapnel nicking Yin in the shoulder and missing Renamon entirely. The two hit the ground with a decent amount of force but managed to recover rather quickly. "What did you mean back there about 'final test'?"

"There's no time to talk, we need to…Ah!" Renamon's gripped Yin's wounded shoulder and began squeezing tightly.

"No more games and no more lies. Tell me what you meant or you'll have _no_ arm by the time I'm through with it."

Yin winced with pain and gritted his teeth, entirely at the vixen's mercy with no means of escape. "Alright…alright…the last part of the map…it was hidden in the supreme sovereign's fortress by Azulongmon. Its booby trapped just like all the other ones were. Only this one is much more _elaborate_ than the other three. And unless you want him to go it alone we have to move, now!"

* * *

><p>After several minutes of meticulously searching the entire chamber, Ryan felt as if he would never be able to locate where the map was hidden. While leaning against the wall, feeling extremely dejected, he looked over his shoulder and saw that the tablet behind him depicted all four pieces of the map with an image of the orb of infinity directly beneath it. <em>Gee, wouldn't that be ironic?<em> Pressing his hand against the carving it moved opening up a secret entrance just to his right. "Eat your heart out, Indiana Jones."

Sitting just beyond inside of the now opened passage, on a pedestal illuminated in a spotlight, was the final piece of the map. "You did it. We've got all four pieces of the map. Now we can use it to find the Orb of Infinity and send Anonymon where he'll never be able to harm another living soul again."

"Oh...finally, an easy one. About time I caught a break." Jubilant that the worst part of their journey was behind them he hastily approached, extending his hand out to take hold of the ripped parchment.

"Wait, Ryan, don't!" Both Yin and Renamon came barging into the room, surprising everyone with their abrupt entrance.

"Renamon, is that you?" As Ryan turned to see his friend, his extremity phased through the map revealing it to be nothing more than a holographic projection. _It's a trap!_ He tried to escape but was too late as a portal opened in the small passage and pulled him in quicker than a blink of an eye and was sealed off once more.

Yin, Renamon and Strabimon could do nothing except look on helplessly as their friend was taken from them in an instant. "He's…gone."

* * *

><p>"Where am I now? Hello!" The only response was his voice echoing throughout the white, misty dimension that stretched on as far as the eye could see. "I don't get it! I went through all those adventures, faced down all kinds of deadly creatures, trying to save two worlds and this is the thanks I get? While I stand here in the middle of nowhere, Anonymon is that much closer to winning! Chosen one or not, I do believe now that I'm the only one who can stop him! If anyone or <em>anything<em> can hear me, just give me a sign! Otherwise everything I and my friends have fought so hard for will be in vain! And if I'm doomed to fail, at least let me go down fighting for _just _once in my life when it counts the most! Please…"

Ryan collapsed to his knees in defeat, expecting to be completely ignored despite his desperate pleas to a higher power that he was unsure even existed in the digital dimension. _The light inside your heart has guided you here to test if you were ready to face the darkness. Throughout your journey, you were subject to countless trials and you have persevered. _

"Who are you?" The disembodied voice projected itself in multiple vocal tones and pitches, making it impossible to determine a gender let alone identifying whether it belonged to digimon, human or another life form entirely. "What do you mean 'trials'?"

_We were the first digimon to ever be created by your kind. Over time we have evolved beyond our original programming and reside here in the realm of light where we can observe the digital world. The journey you have just embarked on has been a trial to determine whether or not you would be capable of the task set before you. But through your actions and your words we have determined you are more than prepared to finish what you have started. Now go and fulfill your destiny._

* * *

><p>Renamon was in deep thought, trying to make sense of what happened to Ryan. "This is your fault, Yin. You knew what was going to happen and you didn't even bother to warn him of the danger."<p>

"I'm telling you, he's alright." Although his arm had fully head from the injury sustained in the explosion, he started stretching it in order to relieve some soreness. "Trust me."

Within a matter of seconds, Renamon went from standing across the room to holding the male fox against the stone wall by the throat. Only this time around she was more enraged than their previous hostile encounter in the volcano. "Trust you? I should destroy you. The only thing that boy wanted to do was live his life. You should never have involved him in the first place."

She released him once her temper had subsided. "Believe me when I say that if I didn't involve him then even _more _bad things would have happened. I kept you both safe at the same time by keeping Anonymon on the run so that you could in turn stop him all together. And when Ryan became possessed I felt as if I had failed despite things turning out the way they did."

Renamon's eyes opened wider than they had ever before. "Because you knew he would pull through. Just like you always knew where we were, what we were doing and everything we would encounter along the way. You seem to know everything, Yin. How is that?"

Yin was known for keeping things to himself since they had known him and now he had backed himself into a corner with no means of escape. "The truth is, I…"

"Look out below!" Ryan fell out of the portal from above and into Renamon's waiting arms. "We've got to stop running into each other like this. Another nice catch, might I add."

"You're alright! I mean...it's good to see you're okay." The vixen could hardly contain herself at how overjoyed she was that he was indeed safe and sound but downplayed it as usual. "Where did that portal take you to?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. It was incredible. I..." The last piece of the map suddenly materialized in the boy's hand. "Whoa! That was _much _quicker than USPS. And it's not even damaged."

Without warning, the chamber floor began ascending to the surface like an elevator. It stopped at the very top of the fortress which was a room similar to the one down below except for the windows that allowed them to view the landscape for miles. "It has begun."

Fanglongmon's words prompted the others to direct their gaze upward into the bright blue sky that was slowly becoming dark and stormy. "I have a bad feeling that isn't the weather taking a turn for the worse. It's Anonymon." Ryan took his three pieces of map out of his jacket pocket while Yin removed the one he and Renamon recovered from his cloak. "We're running out of time. Let's do this."

They united all four sections into one which revealed the sought after hidden location of the orb. "I know where this is. It's not far. But we have to hurry."

Yin and Strabimon led the way while Ryan stayed behind for a moment with Renamon. "No matter what happens from here on out, I just wanted to let you know that I had more fun hanging out with you than anything else I could be doing this summer vacation."

"Knowing you has been a…_interesting _experience to put it mildly. But I feel the same way. It's been an honor fighting alongside you as well." Both took one last look back at Fanglongmon who did not speak but through his expression urged them to catch up with their friends.

Everything was coming down to the wire. Time was not on their side. Yin, Renamon, Strabimon and Ryan were all that was standing between salvation and destruction. Luck had been their ally to this point but they all knew it was bound to run out sooner or later. When that would happen none of them could predict. All they could hope for was that it would last one final time, in a battle which was inevitable and one they _might_ not walk away from.

* * *

><p>Anonymon stood atop a cliff, watching with a sinister grin as his darkness spread like a disease across the entire digital world. "Come to me,my prey. I eagerly await my moment of victory, when I dispose of you and take my rightful place as the overlord of an eternally darkened world." The Earth continued to rotate high above, its inhabitants unaware of the danger. "Or should I say <em>two <em>worlds. Ha! Ha! Ha!"


	17. Journey's End, Part 1

With a veil of darkness now coating every corner of skyline in the digital world, high winds and lightning accompanying its foreboding motif, Yin, Ryan, Renamon and Strabimon fled the safety of Fanglongmon's fortress, braving the storm in hopes of putting an end to Anonymon's reign of terror for good.

"We've got to hurry!" Ryan had no other choice but to yell in order to be heard over the violent tempest. "This storm is probably only a _taste_ of what captain insane-o's got planned! What does the map say?"

Yin held up the completed parchment which displayed several stones in a circular pattern representing the forces of nature: earth, air, water, fire, metal, light and darkness. Directly in the center of the circle was a pillar and underneath the depiction were words. "To attain the ancient tool, unite the forces of nature. Only through their combined strength will you gain access to infinity."

Ryan glanced at the map while hovering over Yin's shoulder. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I believe we will find out when we get there." It was at that point Strabimon realized he had no idea where they were going as of yet. "Exactly _where _is _there_, my friend?"

"It sounds like an ancient ceremonial ground used by the earliest generations of digimon, long before the sovereign governed this world." He took another peek at the map to confirm the location. "This isn't too far away. We'll have to split up again. Ryan, you're coming with me to retrieve the orb. Renamon, Strabimon, I need the two of you to find Anonymon and stall him long enough for the two of us to find you."

Renamon and Strabimon both nodded in agreement before the former approached her human companion. "You've got that look in your eyes like you feel bad that you have to leave me again so soon. It's cool. I'll be fine with Yin. Just don't promise you'll be careful and don't get yourself destroyed on me, okay?"

"Yin's hiding something. Don't be so trusting of him." She began to walk away but stopped for a moment without looking back. "I promise."

Once the fox and wizard had taken their leave, the two remaining individuals converged to discuss the situation and devise a plan of attack. "Are we riding that cool hover-board to the orb's location?"

"Unfortunately, it was destroyed on our way to meet up with Strabimon and yourself." The joyful anxiety that Ryan was experiencing was instantly taken from him upon learning of the hover-board's fiery demise. "However…" A strange device strapped on the male fox's wrist began to beep as he pressed a combination of buttons. "…I always have a backup plan. Data Cycle, activate!"

Out of the thick brush, demolishing several trees along the way, came a black painted motorcycle with a white trim and chrome detailing. "Seriously, where do you get these wonderful toys? _Still_, it is just a regular motorcycle."

"Regular, you say? How about this? Data Cycle, Battle Mode!" The bike began to go through a transformation, gaining armor plating, dual cannons mounted on each side of the front wheel and an extra exhaust port that expelled flames instead of fumes." Do you still think it's _just _a regular motorcycle?"

"What is it with digimon and the need to show off all the cool things they have? I mean, _really_, is that like a requirement for you?"

"Kid, we don't have time for jokes. Get on!" Ryan took a seat behind Yin and strapped on a pair of goggles that were handed to him. "Alright, we're ready to go. Hold on…" A rev of the engine brought the metal beast to life. "…tight!"

The motorcycle nearly went supersonic in under five seconds as it began racing through the maze of trees ahead. Yin, using both technology and his instincts, was able to navigate through the crowded forest with perfect precision. His passenger, on the other hand, was having a difficult time keeping himself from vomiting due to the intense velocity they were currently travelling at.

_We'll never get there in time at the rate we're going. _Upon looking into the sky he spotted a pink data stream crisscrossing across an open valley just ahead of their position. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to enjoy rollercoaster rides would you?"

"They're alright. Why?" Ryan asked, getting a terrible feeling he was about to regret his inquiry.

"We're about to take a _very _wild ride on a data stream. Here we go!" Yin throttled the vehicle to its max speed, shooting out of the tree line like a bullet from a gun. Within seconds they were engulfed by the data stream as it carried them off to their destination.

* * *

><p>Renamon and Strabimon arrive at the area in the desert with numerous rock pillars of all shapes and sizes around them, searching for Anonymon with extreme diligence. Every noise or motion attracted their attention due to the high level of danger their enemy posed. "There's no sight of him…anywhere."<p>

"I can sense him. He's here." Her insistence that they were in the right place based on a sensation was enough reassurance for the wizard digimon.

"Indeed I am." Both spin around just in time to see and dodge an energy blast that explodes a large boulder into millions of tiny pebbles. "I see that your young human companion and my _acquaintance_, Yin, couldn't make it to the party. I'll assume they've gone after the instrument of my imprisonment, which is why I've already taken the necessary precautions to assure they do not succeed in acquiring the orb of infinity."

"What did you do?" Renamon asked; infuriated by what Anonymon had just explained to them.

The vixen digimon could imagine the sick and twisted grin plastered on his face if he had facial features of any kind except for his soulless eyes. "I'd be more worried about what I'm _going to do_ to the two of you."

Renamon is ready to battle when Strabimon places his paw on her shoulder to stop her from attacking. "Leave him to me. Go find Yin and Ryan."

"You can't defeat him on your own…" She wanted to go and warn the other but felt that leaving Strabimon alone would certainly result in his destruction.

"There's no other choice. It's either them or me. Besides, I can at least hold him off long enough for you to find our friends and get back here before…" He ended his sentence with an extremely grim ambiguity. And Renamon, who would have normally argued against this, simply nodded in agreement and disappeared using her phase shift ability. "Now it's just you and me. I won't let you destroy this world. I'll perish before I allow that to happen."

Anonymon powers up for the battle ahead. "And perish you shall, Strabimon. Perish you shall."

* * *

><p>After being transported closer to the Orb's location via the data stream, Yin and Ryan disembark the bike and trek on foot towards the ruins. "You could have warned me <em>that<em> it was going to be that wild. I might not have puked on the way up. Where do you think it's going to go?"

* * *

><p>"I know it's a stormy day but since when does it rain vomit? Huh? Can you answer me that?" Jijimon asks while cleaning the throw up off of his roof.<p>

"Who knows? You're such a fool you old goat!" Babamon teased her husband, albeit in a loving manner.

"I'll show you old goat you senile witch!" Jijimon jumped off the structure in a hurry and went face to face with Babamon. She raised her broom while her spouse drew out his cat cane and within seconds they collided in loving marital turmoil. "I love you so much!"

* * *

><p>"I'm not sure but the thought of that is disgusting." Yin and Ryan continued down the trail for another several minutes. The jungle they were now in was much denser than the forest they had come from and twice as hard to navigate through on foot. However, thanks to his data sabre, Yin was able to clear any foliage or obstacle from the path with ease. "We're here."<p>

"You know I expected this secret location to be somewhere more…I don't know…secret. Not sitting in the middle of the jungle where I'm sure someone has seen it before. Like in the Digimon TV show they had to find their crests in the oddest places: caves, wells, a gigantic cactus, etc."

"Well, it's unlikely that anyone has been here in a long time seeing as how it's concealed…" Yin stepped through an invisible force field and could no longer be seen until he stepped out again. "…by a cloaking field. And this is reality, Ryan, not some fantastical piece of fiction created for entertainment purposes. Now, let's finish what we came here to do."

Just behind the barrier, in a massive clearing, stood the same stone structures shown on the completed map save for one minor difference. "Wait a second… there's only five stones. Where are the last two?"

"_We _are the last two, Ryan. The two that are missing are the elements of light and darkness." Yin took out the map one last time and showed it to the boy. "When I read it before, in front of the fortress, I purposely neglected to mention this part: To unite the elements, Light and Darkness, opposite forces and ancient enemies, must converge as one. I believe you know the rest."

"Okay, so how exactly are we supposed to do this?" Ryan watched as Yin took his place on an empty circular stone slab motioning for him to take his place on the only other vacant spot which he reluctantly did. "Be honest…is this going to hurt at all?"

Removing his cloak and looking directly into the humans eyes with empathy, he said "No. It won't. Now…close your eyes and clear your mind. No emotion must come in the way of this ceremony or the orb will be lost to us forever. And so will our only chance of defeating our enemy. Are you ready?"

Ryan nodded and shut his eyes, as did Yin, believing in the fox digimon's guidance which had not led him astray since the beginning of his journey.

Each stone began to light up sequentially with energy of the element they represented. By the time it reached them, a white colored aura surrounded Ryan who began to levitate into the air while Yin's aura was black with a purple undertone.

All of the energies collided in the center creating a rainbow energy sphere that absorbed into the central pillar which slowly sank into the ground. The ground started to rumble lightly, a metallic platform began rising up to the surface. Ryan was slowly pulled forward which tempted him to open his eyes but he knew what would happen if he did not retain his concentration.

Both of Ryan's arms, not entirely under his control, rose up in front of him. His hands then cupped together in one swift motion. The Orb of Infinity rose out of an opening in the metallic platform in a stream of light, landing gently into his palms before he was lowered back down to the ground with his eyes still shut. "Open your eyes."

Hearing Yin's voice give him the okay, Ryan opened both eyes and became relieved to see that, after what seemed like an eternity searching, he now possessed what they needed to end this madness so he could go home. "We did it! We've got the orb! Yes! Nothing can stop us from getting rid of Anonymon now!"

Yin, who was smiling at how jubilant his friend had become, grabbed ahold of Ryan and dove with him away from the metal surface as an explosion demolished it and the stones, leaving behind nothing but scattered ruins. "I think you just jinxed us, kid. Look!"

A lone Tyrannomon appeared and began torching everything he could in a blind rage. "His core's been corrupted like the others, hasn't it?"

"Yeah and I'll bet I know who sent him after us." Yin quickly looked around for an escape route but could not find a viable way of getting away faster than the dinosaur digimon could catch and destroy them. "If we move he'll torch us and if we don't he'll do the same thing anyway. And there's no way I could get us back to my data cycle quick enough. I'm afraid this might be the end of the line for us. I'm sorry I dragged you into this, kid."

"Don't be. I'm not. I'd still be the same loser kid getting beaten up every day and being afraid of everything if I hadn't come here. At least if I'm going out, I'm going out as a stronger person than I used to be. I have you, Renamon and Strabimon to thank for that. So…thank you."

Tyrannomon was readying a fireball in his mouth to incinerate the duo when diamond shards hit him in the eyes causing a misfire that dropped a branch on top of his head sending the reptile stumbling backwards landing flat on his back. "You're welcome."

Ryan was glad but not shocked to see Renamon, smiling at her usual perfect timing and glad she had saved their lives. "You sure do have perfect timing, I'll give you that."

"Save the reunion for later. That's not going to keep him down for long." Re-donning his cloak and picking up his data sabre. "I'm going to have my hands full for a while. I need the both of you to get back to help Strabimon. Use the power of the orb to open the gateway and send Anonymon into the dimensional prison. After you do, I want you to smash it so that he can never be released. Now, get moving!"

"You can't destroy him on your own! You'll be killed!" Ryan yelled, desperately trying to convince him to leave with them.

"Get him out of here, now!" Renamon took Ryan under her arm and began running as quick as she could away from the scene while the boy struggled to break free from the way he was being manhandled.

Another explosion engulfed the entire surrounding area just as they cleared the blast radius. Renamon stopped for a moment to make sure they were not being followed, Ryan broke loose and ran straight back towards the clearing.

When he reached it there was absolutely nothing left to see except a few surviving trees that were now charred black and still smoking. And as the smoke rising off the ground cleared, he spotted Yin's sabre embedded in the ground by the blade. He walked over, gripped it by the handle and pulled it free, examining it carefully. "He's…gone."

The vixen expressed sympathy by hanging her head in regret of how poorly she had treated Yin and in honor of how brave he truly was.

The sky became even darker than before signaling an increase in Anonymon's powers and inevitable destruction looming larger than ever over the digital world. "Ryan, it's time. We have to finish this…_now_."

An enraged look appeared across the child's visage. Placing the orb into his jacket pocket he walked over to one of the untouched areas of the blast, cut down some vines and tied them together to create a makeshift sheath. He then placed the data sabre inside it and strapped it across his back to carry. "Then let's finish it."

* * *

><p><strong>This is it. The next chapter will feature the battle against Anonymon to determine the fates of the Digital World and Earth. Unfortunately, the ending to my story will be delayed a few days due to a script I'm trying to write for a fan film contest. But don't worry, the conclusion to A New Beginning will be posted by the first or second week of August and will lead directly into my next story: Return of the Tamers, Part 1.<strong>


	18. Journey's End, Part 2

Renamon and Ryan backtracked all the way to Yin's data cycle which was still sitting exactly where it had been left. "I just got a crazy idea." Mounting the bike he motioned for the digital vulpine to get on as well. "Come on, we don't have time to waste!"

"I am not getting on that with you driving." She was adamant about her concern for their overall safety. "You have no experience operating this vehicle."

Ryan rolled his eyes and gave off an exasperated sight. "And you do? Look, I watched Yin ride this thing all the way here. I know exactly what to do. Strabimon needs our help. Who knows if he's even still alive but _if_ he is we need to get to him and this is the only way to do so fast enough. If you were ever going to give me the benefit of the doubt in a situation, now's the time. Please…trust me."

They looked deep into each other's eyes for a moment before Renamon took a seat behind him. Ryan activated the data cycle and disengaged the break, holding his right hand on the throttle. _Please don't let me mess this up. _"Thank you for believing in me."

"Just get us there in one piece." She added while opting to hold onto the side bars rather than the driver's waist.

"I'll try. It'd be easier if this thing had auto-pilot." Ryan muttered very quietly under his breath.

_Auto-Pilot engaged. _A computerized voice, emanating from the cycle, acknowledged what was said as a command and began operating the bike_. Please state destination. _

"Uh…find…Strabimon?" The screen on the center console displayed a tracking device that, using a digital scanner, located the wizard digimon's location based off of his bio-signature. _Hover-Mode initiated_. Both tires turned sideways allowing the anti-gravity mechanisms in each hubcap to lift them above the tree line before propelling the bike forward at Mach speed. "This is more like it, Yahoo!"

* * *

><p>Within a matter of minutes they were back over the desert but could not locate Strabimon even with the computer showing that he was in the immediate vicinity. For a moment they feared the worst until Renamon caught sight of someone standing atop one of the massive structures but could not tell from a distance if it was their ally or enemy.<p>

An alarm began blaring loudly, alerting them to a danger that they were clueless to until Ryan looked in the rearview mirror. "Holy…we've got incoming!"

Renamon peered over her shoulder to see several spheres of dark energy, sizzling like fireballs, on their tail and gaining fast. _Deploying Countermeasures; _a round of flares were released into the air which took out one of the attacks though two still remained in active pursuit.

The data cycle, still on auto-pilot, continued to try and outmaneuver them by diving downwards into a spiral, pulling up at the last second as another impacted into the ground leaving behind a decent sized crater. "There's still one left!"

"As long as this auto-pilot does its job we'll be fine!" Ryan replied, confident they could survive. _Hydraulic-Systems damaged. Auto-Pilot disengaged. _"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

Ryan took control and began steering in every direction to try and lose the energy projectile with no luck. It continued to pursue them relentlessly while getting close enough that both could feel the sheer power radiating off like heat, as if it was alive and telling them they would soon be annihilated.

"We have to get off of this thing!" Suggesting they sacrifice the data cycle to save themselves.

"We can't! That thingis targeting us not the bike! If we get off it'll catch us for sure! Just hang on! I've got _another _crazy idea! And I hope this one works or we're really in trouble!" Pulling back on the handles they pull off a backwards loop as the attack flies ahead of them. "Alright, time to play a little game of chicken!"

As crazy as Renamon considered herself to be, she knew what Ryan would attempt was even crazier. "I never thought I'd be saying this to _you_…but you're insane."

"Oh, I'm not insane." He revved the engine as the sphere came around for another pass. "I'm human!"

The data cycle sped head on towards the dark matter, both on a collision course that would inevitably end in destruction. _Not yet…not yet…wait for it…wait for it…_ As they closed in to within twenty feet, Ryan's plan came to fruition. _Now!_

He rolled the vehicle onto its side and skidded just underneath the attack which collided with a rock spire, exploding and sending debris into the air.

Smoke started emitting from the front compartment as the cycle began losing altitude. "Pull up!"

"I can't! I think it overheated and seized up! The computer's down and the controls are locked!" Ryan tried several more times to reactivate the engine but to no avail. "There's nothing I can do, we're going down!"

They rapidly descended from high above the desert valley, leaving behind a smoke trail similar to sky writing. Upon impacting into the ground both Renamon and Ryan were thrown in opposite directions, bouncing and tumbling across the ground violently, coming to a stop barely conscious but no worse for the wear.

A thick cloud of dirt had been kicked up and kept either of them from being able to see one another. "Ryan…can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Having had the wind knocked out of him he only managed to hoarsely reply with, "Awesome."

Ryan stood up gingerly, clutching his gut with both arms, and managed to stumble out of the dust and into the storm. The sounds of fists being exchanged in combat caught his attention and just as he was about to investigate, Renamon came sailing backwards, landing unconscious at the boys feet.

Before he could attend to the injured vixen, a silhouette became visible in the disturbed soil, an eerily familiar pair of red eyes protruding through the thickness of it with ease. "Ryan Riley…we meet again at last."

"Anonymon…" Ryan reached into his pocket for the orb, the only thing capable of stopping the darkness before it could destroy the Digital World and then the Earth. "You know, I was looking forward to enjoying a normal summer vacation back home. But because of _you_ I've had to run around this planet looking for _this,_ nearly getting killed more than a dozen times. Okay, I can deal with that. But now you go and hurt the one person who actually means something to me in _this_ world and cared enough to keep me safe even though I acted like a downer half the time. I can't wait to send you exactly where you belong!"

"By all means, imprison me inside that vile little charm. However, you'd be condemning your friend along with me." Ryan's jaw went agape and his eyes widened in horror as Strabimon stepped forward, possessed just as he had been days earlier. "What are you waiting for? Exile both of us…forever! Do it! Do it, you weak little child!"

"I…I can't…He's my friend." He drops the orb onto the ground and falls to his knees in defeat. "I'll make a deal with you. Leave Strabimon's body and I'll let you can inhabit me again. You said it yourself, there's darkness in my heart…and you need it. Go ahead and take it. I don't want it anyway."

Anonymon vacated the wizard's soul, grabbing Ryan by the throat and lifting him inches from his face. "You're a fool, boy. You should have seized the opportunity to get rid of me while you had the chance." Ryan's response was nothing but maniacal laughter, similar to that of the ghoulish figure choking him. "What's so funny?"

"Just like you did with my anxieties, I played on your _only_ weakness: your ego. I kept you talking long enough for my plan to work." The virus digimon looked to the side to make sure that he would not be attacked from behind, spying Renamon still unconscious lying on her side.

Ryan withdrew the data sabre, smashing it into the side of Anonymon's head causing him to unintentionally release his hold and stumble backwards several feet. He scrambled for the orb and retrieved it just in time to activate its power. "You tricked me!"

"Yeah, and you fell for it. How stupid do you feel?" Winding his arm up, he threw the orb into the dirt and watched as it rolled through the legs of the faceless creature, coming to a stop about a foot behind him.

"After all that bravado, you missed. Ha! Ha! Ha!" Anonymon's cockiness made him believe that he was safe.

The boy smiled and pointed directly at the hulking digital monster. "Seriously, from this range there's no way I could've missed…_unless_ I wanted to."

Within seconds the gateway opened up, creating a vacuum effect that threatened to pull everyone and everything around it in. Ryan plunged the data saber into the ground to act as an anchor while he grabbed ahold of Renamon who had just begun to regain consciousness. "What's happening?"

"Just grab onto the sabre and hang on, otherwise we're taking a one way trip to nowhere!"

"If I must go, I'm taking you with me!" Anonymon, slowly being pulled backwards by the suction, used the remainder of his energy to extend his arm like a rubber band and grab onto Ryan's ankle, pulling him towards the portal.

Renamon grabbed onto his hand, using every ounce of will power she could muster to prevent the boy from being trapped forever alongside a psychopathic monster. Her grip weakened and he started slipping away. "Listen to me, you have to let go of my hand! Otherwise we're both going!"

"I can save you!" They were now down to their fingertips and, just as Ryan was about to be lost for eternity, another paw took hold of his hand. A recovered Strabimon joined in the rescue attempt but Anonymon's strength was proving to be too much for them to overcome even with their combined might.

"I believe this is where I come in!" Yin appeared out of nowhere and jumped high into the air, holding his arms out to the side. "It's time to turn up the heat with Power Paw!" Each of his limbs went ablaze in a bright crimson red flame. "Goodness gracious great balls of fire!"

The shadow fox lunged forward, balled up his right fist and punched Anonymon square on his jaw, launching him into the gateway. "I will be back! Someday, I will be back and when I return both worlds will fall to the darkness! And you four will live long enough to know that you failed to stop it before I destroy you one by one!" At the end of his tirade the entryway collapsed and severed the link between the two dimensions.

"Is it over?" Each of the three digimon gave him a nod. "Thank God. I need at least a dozen cheeseburgers with everything on them. And like seven years sleep. Wake me in time for the next bad guy who shows up." Yin walked over and picked up the orb of infinity, dusting it off. "Are you going to destroy that thing like you wanted me to do?"

"No. I thought that would be the best option at the time. But, if he does figure out a way to make good on his threats, then this may come in handy again someday."

With Anonymon gone, the weather in the digital world returned to normal. The storm clouds dissipated restoring the unique skyline and bringing the Earth back into view. "That planet never looked so good. I'm just glad I've got a home to go back to."

"Speaking of which, I believe it's time to fulfill my promise to you…" Ryan's face became alight with pure joy and tremendous relief, knowing exactly what Yin meant. "…albeit, after we speak to Fanglongmon one last time."

Ryan hung his head and took a deep breath. "That's cool. I guess I can wait a _little _while longer."

* * *

><p><em>Shinjuku, Japan…<em>

Deep within the recesses of the two identical buildings, in the heart of the main control room, Riley and Tally were gathering and analyzing data as Yamaki entered, sunglasses still on and flicking the cover of his silver zippo lighter up and down. "What's the situation?"

"There have been some strange readings during the last few minutes, sir." The brunette continued typing on her multi-colored keyboard, bringing up different charts and graphs on the main monitor. "According to these, an unknown anomaly pierced the interdimensional barrier and began spreading across the entire digital plane like a virus and then just vanished into thin air. It is no longer detectable I'm afraid."

Yamaki tipped his sunglasses to look at the screen more clearly and returned them to their normal position once observed the intelligence. "Continue to monitor the sectors where it appeared. If it shows up again, we'll test Yuggoth and if not I want you to archive all the evidence collected." His lighter clapped shut and echoed through the room like a flat lining heartbeat. "This is only the beginning. These _things_ are going to try and Bio-Emerge eventually. I can feel it. And when they do, we'll be ready to wipe the _infestation_ from the face of our planet."

* * *

><p><strong>This is not the last chapter but it is the conclusion of the main story. Anonymon has been defeated...for now... and Ryan is going home soon. I apologize if anyone is upset I didn't have a climactic battle but with three rookies and a human against a half-powered mutant Digimon it's kind of difficult. But there are going to be many more stories with actual battle scenes so just be patient and I promise not to disappoint. Thank you to all my faithful readers and followers for your support and reviews. <strong>

**P.S. I will explain how Yin survived his fight with Tyrannomon in the final chapter and how Strabimon got possessed. No worries. I never leave unintentional loose ends. Lol.**


	19. Epilogue

The four heroes all reconvened for one final time inside of Fanglongmon's fortress. "You have all done very well. Your actions have saved many lives and restored peace to the Digital World."

"There's something I'm still dying to know. How did Yin survive that blast from Tyrannomon?"

"You don't want to know, kid. Believe me when I say, you _really_ don't want to know."

"I have something to confess." The tone of Strabimon's voice, as well as his overall demeanor, displayed how ashamed he was feeling at the time. "After Renamon left to help Yin and Ryan, I never battled with Anonymon. He merely spoke about how _if_ I failed, to defeat him, I would also be failing all those who depended on me. The possibility of that had never crossed my mind until that point. I have spent countless hours training to control my fears that I never realized what I feared the most…was failure."

Yin stepped forward to console his friend. "We all fail sometimes. But I've come to realize that it's how you learn from your failures that makes you stronger and wiser. Mine was the inability to control my anger. I let it build up inside me for so long that it nearly cost me everyone I truly cared about. I left them thinking that they would never forgive me for what I'd done but, deep down, I knew it was I who needed to forgive myself before they could and always would have."

The Yang symbol on both of his gloves began to glow in a soft, mellow white light. "What does that mean?"

Ryan's inquiry brought a smile to Yin's face. "It means that I've found what I was looking for. And that I can _finally_ return home."

"What about you, Renamon, where are you going from here?" Strabimon asked, feeling better thanks to his partner's kind words

She took a look at Ryan who cracked a half smile. "I'm not exactly sure. But I know that I was searching for a tamer before all of _this_ happened. I suppose that is what I'll continue to do once we leave here."

Everyone then looked at the only human in the room. "What? I just want to go home already."

"I can send you back right this moment, if you'd like." Yin explained, holding his wrist up to display the device attached to it.

Although Ryan desperately desired to return to the suburbs where there were no digital monsters, no evil plots and no maps leading to destinations filled with peril, a small part of him was going to miss the digital world and especially a certain vulpine female. "Actually can we hold off on that for a few minutes, I want to say good-bye to someone." Yin lowers his arm as the boy offers his hand to the vixen. "Take a walk with me?"

"It would be my pleasure." The two, hand in paw, walked out of the building through a back exit leading into a beautiful glen that was more serene than any location they had been recently.

"I wish that I could be your tamer. But I suppose that I'd have gotten a digivice or something by now if I was. That way you could come with me back to my world and see where I live which, believe it or not, and I don't know how I forgot to mention this, is called Fox Hollow. How ironic is that?"

While Ryan rambled on to avoid the fact he was leaving soon, at the same time trying to stay with her for a little longer, Renamon remained silent. Both were expressing their sadness in the only way they knew how. "I'm going to miss you, Ryan. Like you said before, we've only known each other for a short time but it feels much longer than that. And, despite some of your…_un-amusing _tendencies…I sincerely wish that you were my partner as well."

"Thanks. I…wait. _I _have un-amusing tendencies? Says the digimon who snores louder than anyone I know. Another thing…" She cut him short by embracing him, bringing forth the tearful portion of the afternoon. "We'll see each other again. I promise."

* * *

><p>The duo returned to the area of the glen nearest the castle, finding Yin and Strabimon waiting for them to return. "Are you ready, my friend?"<p>

"I'm ready." Yin stood back, entered a command into the device on his wrist and opened the same turquoise colored portal that had brought Ryan to the digital world in the first place. "Thank you…all of you. Not just for making my life a little more fun and interesting but for making me feel the happiest I've felt since I can remember. I'll never forget any of you, ever."

The wizard digimon bowed his head as a sign of respect. ""Farewell, Ryan Riley, until next we meet."

"Catch you later, Houdini." He turned around, planted a surprise peck on Renamon's cheek and ran towards the portal, stopping just before going through to watch as she held one paw up to touch her face with a wide-eyed look. "I wanted to do that for a while but I was afraid you'd break me in half if I tried."

Knowing that he'd be tempting fate if he stuck around any longer, Ryan gave her one last smile and was gone.

"Are you blushing?" Renamon spun around and shot an icy glare at Strabimon for his teasing comment. "Of course you're not. Must be a reflection of light or something, forget I mentioned it."

Yin placed the hood of his cloak back over his head so that his face was barely visible as he had worn it before revealing his identity to the others. "Now that our human ally has been returned to his world, it's time I face up to the consequences of my past actions and head home as well. I've been gone for too long. Strabimon, you've been a good friend. Don't continue to regret what happened. Or it will haunt you for the rest of your days. Trust me. And Renamon…you are truly wonderful. _That_ is the best way to describe you. I'm sure Ryan would agree with me."

"Wait!" Renamon exclaimed as Yin began walking down the trail. "You never finished explaining to me how you knew Ryan was going to be alright during his last trial."

"Humph. Hold that thought." Continuing his walk down the path, the hooded fox phase shifted and was gone just as suddenly as he appeared.

Strabimon closed his eyes and shook his head. "I hate it when he does that. I truly do."

* * *

><p>Ryan was sent flying out of the portal and fell face first into the dirt in a similar fashion to his arrival in the digital world. "Oh…he's really got to work on that re-entry."<p>

"Hey, Ry, you okay?" Zack, still carrying the black backpack given to him by his friend, came running up to the scene. "Oh, man, what did Scott do to you this time?"

"Zack, is that you? Is it really you?" Ryan sprung to his feet and looked around, coming to the realization that he was back at the spot where his long journey had begun and how surreal it all felt afterwards. "I don't believe it. After the longest week of my life, I'm home. My mom's probably going to ground me for a year but at least I'm home."

"What are you talking about? Your house is way back that way and it hasn't been a week. Scott Gerardi and his Neanderthal posse just chased you here like ten minutes ago."

The ecstatic pre-teen was hastily brought back to reality. "Ten minutes? You're kidding me. I've only been gone ten minutes! I just spent days searching for map pieces, fighting corrupted digital monsters, saving _two worlds_ and it's only been _ten _minutes!" His ranting and raving attracted the attention of the trio that had caused his cross-dimensional side trip as they were making their way back from the pit. "Wonderful. My homecoming couldn't have gone better."

"Riley! We thought you fell down that hole!" Gerardi was confused about how Ryan had circled around so fast but didn't care. "At least now I can kick your ass for shoving me into that pile of dog crap!"

"Back off. I'm not in the mood. And I don't want to hurt you." The three of them burst out in laughter, amused by his threat.

"You…hurt me? I'll take my chances." He swung a punch which Ryan ducked and swept the larger teens leg, bringing him down hard.

Ryan shrugged both his shoulders. "I told you. Just get up, walk away and don't start any problems with me. Not now or ever again."

Scott jumped back up, swinging haymakers wildly left and right which his target was easily able to avoid because of the training he had received from Renamon.

He grabbed onto one of the fists, flipped Gerardi onto his back, spun him over and put him in a rear naked choke using his own arm all in one fluid motion. "I could break your arm, and quite possibly your neck, from this position. Now, if I let you go, you have to promise you're going to stop picking on me and my friends. Otherwise, the whole school finds out about this and you become a laughing stock. We have a deal?"

At first the only answer he got was an angry grunt until he applied more pressure to the hold. "Okay! Okay! I'll leave you and Zack alone from now on!"

"I want an apology as well." He added to milk the moment for everything it was worth.

"Don't push it, you geek!" More added pressure changed his mind. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

After releasing the whining adolescent he watched as the other two, in shock and awe about what they had witnessed, helped their friend up before all three of them took off running, not daring to look back for fear of receiving the same embarrassing punishment.

"Dude, that was awesome! I've never seen you do something that cool before! What the heck happened to you?"

Ryan looked up into the sky, trying to imagine what Renamon was doing at that very moment, and smiled while placing a hand on Zack's shoulder, leading them back towards town. "It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it over some PlayStation and pizza."

* * *

><p><em>Three years have passed since then, though it seems like yesterday. The rest of that summer wasn't nearly as eventful as the way that it had begun. And every one since hasn't even come close.<em>

_Zack never completely believed me about the events that took place in the digital world. Can't say I really blame him. If someone told me that wild of a story I'm not sure I'd believe them either. Other than that I've never told anybody._

_Although about a year after my adventure, I began hearing about sightings of strange creatures in a Japanese city called Shinjuku. A few months later, a red mass dubbed "D-Reaper" began wreaking chaos in the same place. After that the whole world came to learn about digimon. And I wondered, and still do to this day, if Renamon was involved in any way with that or the following Locomon incident._

_Part of me wishes I could travel there and find out for sure but unfortunately I don't have the means to. However, I made a promise to her that one day we would see each other again. And, no matter what, it's one I intend to keep. _

Saving the journal entry to memory and powering down the computer, Ryan looked out his bedroom window and directly into the glow of the full moon with one thought, one person on his mind. "Good night, Renamon. I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it everyone. The conclusion to my first story. I took me almost a year due to a car accident, work and school but I finally finished it. And I feel I brought everything full circle. If there's anything I left out or you feel I did not conclude properly or how you expected, just let me know and I'll gladly go back and fix it. I hope everyone who has read it and will read it sincerely enjoys it. Because this is not the end. It's just the beginning. Tune in next time for Return of the Tamers!<strong>

**Updated 2/14/13-Making some adjustments to tense and grammar**


	20. Update 2-14-13

**Now that the first story is finished, I wanted to share with everyone the outline I have planned. Here are all of the episodes/stories I'm planning to write. Some of the names are plays off of other TV shows episode names while most are original. The ones with question marks are what I decided to withhold because they would spoil too much ahead of time. Once we reach the 6th, I'll be able to reveal them. I'm also going to throw in two specials: a Christmas based story and another that's a surprise. Last but not least there will also be some cross-overs with some of my all time favorite characters from TV series', Video games, etc. The fun has just begun!**

**Digimon Tamers 02**

**1. A New Beginning**

**2. Return Of The Tamers, Part 1**

**3. Return Of The Tamers, Part 2**

**4. The Eyes Have It**

**5. Along Came Renomon**

**6. Fractured**

**7. Digidestined In Reverse**

**8. The Dream Team**

**9. Seeing Isn't Believing**

**10. Under The Weather**

**11. Honey, I Shrunk The Tamers**

**12. No "I" In Leader**

**13. A Lion's Heart**

**14. My Mind Is Mine**

**15. Renomon For A Day**

**16. The Wanna-Be Tamer**

**17. Slayer On The Brain**

**18. Fighting With Fire**

**19. Blind Faith**

**20. Friend And Foe**

**21. Caught In the Middle**

**22. Out Of Time**

**23. Crossing The Line**

**24. The Darkness Within, Part 1**

**25. The Darkness Within, Part 2**

**26. Interdimensional Exile**

**27. Without A Hero**

**28. Embracing Destiny**

**29. The Ultimate Power**

**30. Wild West Digidestined**

**31. Beyond The Seadramon**

**32. Race To Fire Mountain**

**33. Etemon's Live Tour**

**34. Kazu And Kenta's Bogus Journey**

**35. Home Is Where The War Is…**

**36. The Lost Tamer**

**37. Back To School**

**38. Rumble Arena**

**39. Forest Of Illusions**

**40. A Golden Opportunity**

**41. Identity Crisis**

**42. The Troubled Doubles**

**43. X-Mon**

**44. Return To Darkness, Part 1 **

**45. Return To Darkness, Part 2**

**46. Choices And Consequences**

**47. Night Of The Living Digimon**

**48. Tamers Of The Future**

**49. Absentis Memoria**

**50, 51 And 52- Myotismon's Endgame**

**Digimon Tamers Statistics and Costume**

**1. Takato Matsuki; Age 14**

**He's still wearing a pair of trademark goggles but a brand new pair that are silver and black that he got between the end of Runaway Locomon and my story. Gone is the blue hoodie which has been replaced by a solid white t-shirt imprinted with the same symbol on Guilmon's chest only red instead of black. Sneakers are solid red with white trim.**

**2. Henry Wong; Age 14**

**For Henry I don't want his attire to change too much. His orange vest will now be a dark green (unzipped) with a white long sleeve shirt. The brown pants are out in favor of olive cargo pants. Sneakers are mostly the same colored green as the vest.**

**3. Rika Nonaka; Age 14**

**Weird for a guy to be picking out a girls clothing, isn't it? Luckily I have the perfect wardrobe for the main female tamer. First off: no more pony tail! I know Rika's somewhat of a tomboy but at this point in her teenaged life I think she'd let her hair down. Besides, I think it makes her a bit more badass that way. Have no fear because her heart shirt remains only now its dark purple with a yellow heart. She also wears a dark blue jacket, blue jeans and sky blue colored sneakers.**

**4. Jeri Katou; Age 14**

**Out of all the women on the team, Jeri's attire is the most in need of a makeover. I'm giving her longer hair, a sleeveless light green under shirt, a button down short sleeve yellow over shirt with matching skirt and white boots instead of regular shoes. Amazing how hers was one of the easiest.**

**5. Ryo Akiyama; Age 16**

**Rika's bitter rival in the card game and the only tamer who enjoys dressing like a gladiator in the digital world. I'm making this one quick as well: Silver jacket, red t-shirt, dark grey pants and silver colored sneakers. I think that works.**

**6. Suzie Wong; Age 8**

**I'm bestowing upon the 3rd youngest tamer what was Takato's: a hoodie. I think that fits her perfectly. It'll be a pink one with dark pink pants, pink sneakers and a pink ribbon in her hair instead of two pigtails. Suzie's clothes for the show were the same except the shoes but I think she's the right one to rock full pink attire.**

**7. Kazu Shioda; Age 14**

**Uh-oh…Kazu has rebelled! His hair is rock star long but not past the shoulders. He continues to wear a visor but backwards now. As for clothing, I'm seeing a brown jean jacket, tan shirt with a dark beige cross, dark green pants and brown shoes.**

**8. Ai & Mako; 6**

**Hmm…I think I'll let everyone else just imagine what they would look like a year older and with different styles.**

**9. Kenta Kitagawa; 14**

**Doesn't anyone think he could be a young version of Henry's father? Anyways, to go with his digimon's color I'd say a very light pink shirt, almost white, shirt with dark blue jeans and white sneakers. There's something missing though that would make him stand out…I got it! A faux hawk! Kenta's hair was always so flat and bland. Now he gets some style!**

**10. Ryan Riley; 15**

**Last but not least…my OC. I know just what I want him to wear. He's the only one who will have alternating attire between two sets of clothing. Kind of how Clark Kent on Smallville sometimes wore a red or blue jacket. The first is a black jacket, crimson red shirt, dark blue jeans and black sneakers with red trimming. And the second is a white jacket, black shirt, black jeans and white sneakers (this will be his main attire).**

**And there you have it! The entire updated wardrobe is completed! To some it may seem unnecessary but do you think teens would still be wearing what they wore two years earlier?**


End file.
